


Forgotten Promises

by TallyAce



Series: Forgotten [2]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Blood and minor descriptions of injury, Gen, LU Forgotten AU, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Wild traveled with the group before the calamity and then had to go back AU, aka the, cursing, detailed descriptions of injury in chapter 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-01-04 08:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 53,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21194507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TallyAce/pseuds/TallyAce
Summary: Wild was an enigma for many reasons, with the most noticeable being his hero's title. Or rather, lack thereof. That was not to say that he didn't deserve to hold the title of hero, for he was just as courageous as the other 'heroes.' No, Wild lacked a title on account of the fact that his purpose had yet to be fulfilled.Unlike the other heroes, Wild hadn't defeated a great evil, or saved a princess, or even overcome some personal hardship. He was a kid, whisked away from his land in the middle of his knight training. After just under a year of traveling with the heroes from his story books, Wild was pulled back to his own Hyrule to finally earn his name.Months passed by without word on his condition, with hope of Wild's return slowly shrinking in the hearts of the other heroes. And once all hope had faded away, they found themselves in a Hyrule of ruin.And Wild’s name began to make sense.





	1. An Expected Departure

**Author's Note:**

> Linked Universe took my heart, and the fandom manages to make me smile every single day. So it's time I gave back with an idea I've had bouncing around in my draft folders for nearly three months now. 
> 
> Of course, Linked Universe belongs to the lovely Jojo on Tumblr, both at LinkedUniverse and Jojo56830.

Time was what some would call a light sleeper, always the first to rise at the smallest of things. A bump in the night, a footstep hitting the ground, or a shift of fabric saw him wide awake, sword in hand. So, while a great trait for survival, it did not lend itself to many nights of well-rested sleep.

Especially with eight companions who constantly made noise. 

In recent months, Time had begun to develop a blind-spot of sorts for certain noises and movements. The noises of camp went completely undetected, leaving him completely oblivious to the others for the night. Which was great for sleeping through their antics, yet horrible for realizing when someone was leaving camp or having a nightmare.

However, the current barrage of taps against his arm seemed to break his dreams rather nicely.

Jolting awake, he pushed himself off the small stump he had been resting on, his hand tightening around the hilt of his blade. It took his brain all of three seconds to realize that no one was in danger, and he slowly let his hand relax from his sword, staring into the darkness as a sigh of relief shuttered beside him. 

Time squinted, trying to make out just who decided to wake him up, yet the smoldering remains of the fire to their backs did nothing to fend off the dark veil of night around the awakener’s face. Time finally gave up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. No matter how hard Time looked, the face of his awakener remained a mystery. If only they would turn towards the fire. 

A late night, unprompted mystery. Oh joy. 

“What—” 

A calloused hand covered his mouth, a quiet yet frantic shushing stopped Time from immediately shoving the hand away. He was going to be roped into one of those late-night emotional talks, wasn’t he? Goddess, why did everyone come to Time for that kind of stuff?

He knew it was because they saw him as a parental figure, but that embarrassed him too much to think about. 

Slowly, Time nodded. The hand froze on his mouth for a moment, before lifting away and closing around his wrist. His sword hand wrist. 

Precautious, weren’t they? 

The figure gently pulled him upwards, and his legs begrudgingly complied. Time stifled a yawn, running his free hand through his bed head as he was slowly led through the camp. The others were completely passed out, showing no hint of waking as Time stepped over stray limbs. The dying breaths of their fire gave Time just enough light to take in the small scene surrounding him. 

Wind was curled against Sky’s side, one arm draped across Sky’s chest and the other thrown above his own head. Sky’s face was buried in Wind’s hair, both arms wrapped tightly around the Master Sword. Hyrule laid on the opposite side of Sky, both arms wrapped around Sky’s middle and face pressed against his back. 

Leaned against a large tree was Four, his nose barely visible under the sheer mountain of blankets covering him. Four was known to have a horrible time regulating his body temperature, but that seemed a little extreme. 

Warriors had no blankets; the chattering of his teeth heard from all corners of their camp. His back was pressed against the same tree as Four. 

Time would have to get on him about that later. If one of them caught a cold they could be stationary for days, and they didn’t exactly have that sort of time. 

Twilight was sprawled out near the center of the camp, limbs tossed out in every-which-way. A large, empty spot sat next to him, filled only with a seemingly discarded sheet. Time frowned, hadn’t Wild gone to sleep next to—

Ah. 

Time turned his attention back to his guide, the short-cut hair bounced with each step, a loose fitting red shirt swaying in the night breeze. 

Wild should’ve been his first guess, in hindsight. The kid never seemed to sleep for goddess sake. 

Wild tugged against his wrist once more, guiding him through the dense foliage on the outskirts of camp before letting go. The two of them stood by a large tree, the soft snores of camp muffled by the thick shrubbery. 

The branches of the tree shuddered above them as Legend’s feet kicked the air. Legend was the third shift on lookout duty, and judging from the position of the moon he was set to switch out with Four any minute now. 

“Can I take your watch from you?” The soft, higher pitched voice of Wild broke the silence surrounding them. It was barely above a whisper, yet it was enough to clear the last remnants of sleep from Time’s head.

“You were on watch practically all last night, let some of us in on the fun.”

“Legend, please.”

“You know, if you pass out you’ll be nothing but a burden.”

“I won’t.”

Legend scoffed from his branch above, “Won’t what? Pass out, or be a burden?”

“Yes.”

“Listen, you may be a knight, but that doesn’t mean you need to have some weird sense of duty around us. Chill out and let some of us take watch.”

“Just for tonight. This is the last time, I promise.”

Legend laughed, exasperated, “Fine. But only if the Old Man doesn’t find out, he hates it when we allow you to burn yourself out.”

“Too late,” Time chuckled, squinting to look through the dark at Legend. 

The tree creaked and Time was barely able to notice Legend shuffling to face them. His legs hung down as he rested his chin in his palm, leaning forward.

“Ah, gonna get ‘the talk’ are we?” Wild glanced back to Time, the silent plead in his eyes bright as day as Legend huffed. “Can’t say I’m jealous.”

“It’s only awkward when you allow it to be, and Wild is certainly mature enough to handle it.” Time gently patted Wild’s hand in reassurance. ‘Winking’, before he realized that Wild probably couldn't see it. “You’re always welcome to join us.”

Legend barked out a laugh, “I would rather not, thanks.” 

Legend swung off the branch with a grunt, landing just a few feet in front of Wild and Time. He stretched backwards, arms above his head, loud pops and cracks making Time wince. Goddess, Legend really did pick the most uncomfortable spot for his watch from the sound of it. 

Dusting himself off, Legend bent down to the roots of the tree, rummaging around in the greenery before pulling a small bag from its hiding place. He slung it over his shoulder with a huff, turning back to Wild. 

“The watch is all yours, I don’t plan to stick around long enough to even hear the beginning of that conversation.” 

With a smirk, he turned back towards the camp, parting the foliage around him before pausing. He cocked his head back to look at Wild, who wouldn't hold his gaze. Weird, Wild was known for never breaking eye contact if possible. Time frowned, was he really that worked up about something? 

“Your composure can’t save you now, Little Knight. Good luck.” 

Within seconds Legend was gone, swallowed whole by the hungry forest and the darkness of night. 

“Well, he sure left in a hurry,” Time chuckled, watching the darkness Legend had disappeared into.

A faint hum and the crunch of twigs responded.

Time sighed, turning back towards Wild, who was already attempting to scale the same tree Legend had occupied. “So, what’s wrong?”

Wild pulled himself onto a stable branch, turning his head slightly to glance at the elder hero, “I need to talk to you.”

With a huff Time rolled up his sleeves, grabbing onto a small knot in the bark as he hefted himself up, “Alright, start talking.”

While not as nimble as some of the younger members of their group, he certainly wasn’t clunky in his movements; within the minute he was sat adjacent to Wild, the branch bending beneath their weight yet holding strong.

Wild fidgeted, which struck Time as odd. The younger hero was always the most composed of them all, only a few years older than Wind yet more of an adult than even Time on occasion. He supposed it could be due to the kid’s upbringing, a harsh regimen of training and discipline. Form and etiquette etched into his very soul. Wild was a kid who had been trained as a knight. Trained from the early age of eight, younger than any hero before him. 

Trained to be a knight from the moment he pulled the sword.

They sat on the branch in silence, a soft breeze rustling the leaves and creaking through the branches. Wild stared at the stars through the small gaps in the canopy, lips tugged into a small frown. Time watched him sigh, pulling his gaze away from the sky and locking it onto Time. 

“I have to leave tomorrow.”

Time felt his heart drop like a rock in the water, smashing into his stomach and making him feel sick. 

He knew this would happen, they all did. But no one wanted to acknowledge it. 

Wild was an enigma for many reasons. He was one of the youngest, yet had the maturity of some of the older heroes. His hero’s title made little sense, reflecting nothing about his personality or his land. Although, it raised questions about his hero’s journey all together. 

Why was he the only one who hadn’t finished his adventure? 

Each of the heroes had finished their adventures already, whether that meant they defeated some great evil— which it probably did—, led their land to prosperity, or overcame some personal hardship. Wild on the other hand, he hadn’t. The only claim to being a hero that the kid had was his ability to wield the Master Sword. And the only reason he knew his hero’s title was because Fi had told him what it was after a very confused discussion over what to call the kid. 

He hadn’t defeated some great evil, or saved a princess; shoot, he hadn’t even finished his knight training before being whisked away, forced to follow a group of experienced heroes around. Wild wasn’t actually the Hero of the Wild, at least not yet. 

Why he was pulled to them so early in his life, no one knew. 

But they did all know that his time with them wouldn’t last forever. 

“How—how do you know?”

Wild shakily sighed, rubbing the base of his neck. “She told me.”

Who ‘she’ was went unspoken, her name sour on Time’s tongue. The almighty goddess, ruler of their damnation. 

Wild leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as his weight shifted much closer to the edge of the branch than Time liked. The kid wouldn’t fall, but that didn’t stop the dark pit of worry from growing in Time’s stomach. 

Time sighed a curse, directing it at whichever goddess was listening. Although, he doubted they cared enough to. “Surely she can give you more time?” 

Wild shook his head, refusing to meet Time’s eyes. “It was generous of her to give me as much time as she did, and I don’t think it wise to push my luck in asking for more. A year is more than enough time.” 

It wasn’t. 

Time wrapped his arm around Wild’s shoulders, pulling him closer against his side. Wild sighed, slumping against the older hero; his head on Time’s shoulder. 

“Your family will be happy to see you again.”

“I was hoping I’d get to introduce you guys to them.”

“There’s always the future. Once you seal away Ganon we can meet anyone you want us to.”

“I think Wind would’ve really liked my Aryll.”

Time chuckled, “I think we all would.”

“Dad could have taught you guys how to cook.”

“I don’t know if any of us are teachable, you’ve seen our ‘cooking’ correct?”

Time smiled as Wild shook with silent laughter, cheeks flushed in such a way that they truly portrayed how young he was. It wasn’t often that Wild would genuinely laugh, but each time was a blessing. 

Time absently rubbed circles on Wild’s arm, humming a song that once brought him comfort. A song gifted to him by a dear friend. And if Wild bothered to learn the notes, it would be Time’s gift to him. 

Wild’s grin had softened to a smile, yet his brow was furrowed. Finally, he sighed, breaking the silence between them.

“I don’t think I’m going to come back.”

The air crashed down with a thud, and Time felt his lungs constrict. Each breath was pushed against slack lips, every intake seemingly more labored than the last. 

Time’s smile no longer reached his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Wild shrugged, eyes hidden by his bangs as he looked down the forest floor. “I have a weird feeling.”

“Weird how?”

Wild shrugged once again, lifting his head and weight from Time’s side as he straightened. 

“I feel as though I’m meant to fail.” 

Time felt as though his heart had stopped. A cruel acceptance in Wild’s features so shockingly at home on his face, a look no child should ever bear. 

“You’re going to have to give me a reason, kid.” Time bitterly laughed. Twilight should be handling this, not him. 

Wild hummed, leaning away from Time’s hold as the older hero’s arm dropped. “I can’t describe it. 

“It’s—it’s something in my heart. A feeling, deep within that tells me it’s true. I will fail, and everything that everyone has fought to build and protect will be gone.” 

Time struggled to speak. He had so many things he wanted to say but nothing seemed to quite reach his lips. 

And then he saw it. 

The vulnerability in Wild’s eyes, an uncertainty in his own words stark against his near emotionless face. 

Maybe he and the kid were more similar than he thought. 

Wild was wearing a mask. A damned good one at that, as it had managed to fool not only Time, but everyone for a full year. Yet his eyes couldn’t be hidden, the remains of a childhood shining a vibrant blue. 

“I won’t tell the others.” The slight waver in Wild’s voice was barely noticed, yet to Time it stuck out like a sore thumb. Not only five minutes earlier, it would have flown over his head. But Wild’s mask was cracking. “It’ll only distract them from their—”

“So you’ve given up.”

The words finally came together, spilling from Time with ease. His form was relaxed, but he could feel a heat build in his chest. He wasn’t angry. 

Just disappointed. 

. . . Goddess, he sounded like a parent. 

“A feeling in your gut is nothing compared to the thoughts in your head. Yes, you will fail. You will fail because you believe it to be so.” 

The sounds of the forest seemed to disappear, snuffed out by a growing fuzz in his ears as Time struggled to keep a calm face. His irritance only heightened by Wild’s lack of response, eyes glued to the stars as if he hadn’t heard.

“You can’t claim defeat before you’ve even begun, for that makes you a coward. A coward who has no right to claim himself a hero, nor act like one. Each of us had doubts, but we succeeded because we ignored them. We chose to fight for an ending that we wanted, not one we felt to be true.”

Time shut his eyes, slowly counting down as he unfurrowed his brow. The boy to his left was still, the rise and fall of his chest was steady, rehearsed almost. 

“Wild.”

Nothing.

“Wild, look at me.”

Wild didn’t even spare him a glance. 

He grit his teeth, grabbing Wild’s shoulders and yanking him around. “Wild, you need to—”

His words died in his throat, replaced with a small pang of despair. It was suffocating, pushing against his chest and constricting his heart. A pain ran through him, one he hadn’t felt in years. 

All because of Wild’s smile. 

Or, grimace rather. It was forced, way too forced even for the kid. His eyes, the only true view into his heat, full of something all too familiar to Time. 

“I’m scared, Time.”

The mask shattered, and Time could see the sheer terror painted across Wild’s face. He tightened his grip on the kid, pulling him into as tight of a hug as Time dared. Wild felt too small, too fragile to let go of. He was a kid with more weight on his shoulders than any adult should ever carry. A kid who feared for his life before it had even begun.

A kid, just like the others.

“That’s okay.” Time tucked Wild’s head under his chin, leaning back against the trunk of the tree as he felt their weight shift. “I am too.”

Wild shook like a leaf caught in a storm, desperately clinging to Time as if to keep himself grounded. Time’s cotton shirt sat in bunches under Wild’s fists, silent tears soaking into the fabric. 

Time just pulled him closer. 

Deep gasps for breath shook against Time’s chest, wheezing sobs further broke his heart. This was the first time that Wild had ever cried. At least to Time’s knowledge. 

Goddess, had the kid really been holding this in all this time? 

“I—” Wild’s voice was rough as it tried to force through the muffled cries. “I don’t want to di—”

“You won’t.” Time wasn’t going to let him finish that thought. 

He might break down alongside the kid if he did. 

Time ran his hand up and down Wild’s back, feeling his breathing even out to match the rhythm. Up, in. Down, out. 

“Trust me, you won’t.” 

And Time could only pray that he wasn’t lying.

* * *

“Wow, you look awful.”

Time gave his bedroll one last shove into his bag, clasping it closed once it was in. He spared a glance to the opposite edge of camp, where a fully packed and raring to go Wind stared down a less prepared Wild. 

Who, as Wind so kindly put it, looked awful. 

His eyes—while no longer red—were still extremely puffy. His drooping ears and dark bags under his eyes betrayed his lack of sleep. While none of them could guess he had been crying, they could safely assume that he wasn’t at the top of his game. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” Wild shrugged, tightening a baldric across his shoulder. He nudged a small bag towards Wind, the sound of glass clinking together echoing across the clearing. 

Legend laughed, pushing himself off the ground to stand by Wind with a grin. “He and the old man had quite the conversation last night. Must’ve been too disturbed to sleep.” He shot Wild a look, wiggling his eyebrows as Wild ducked his head down to stare at his bag. 

“Conversation?” Sky questioned, kicking around the dead remains of their campfire. 

It was unlikely they were being followed, but it was best to erase your tracks just to be safe. 

“Time gave him the ‘talk’ last night.” 

“What talk?” Wind frowned, grabbing the potion bag from the ground and throwing it over his shoulder without a second glance. 

Time covered his laugh with a cough as Legend froze. He stared at Wind with pure fear, and Wind stared back with curiosity. 

Sky cleared his throat, drawing the attention away from Legend. “A talk that you will get to take part in when you’re a bit older.”

Wind huffed, turning now to Time. “I’m not that much younger than Wild.”

“Two years may not seem like a big difference, but when you’re growing it can mean everything.” Time ruffled Wind’s hair, earning a small grunt of annoyance from the youngest hero as he quickly stepped out of Time’s reach.

Wild stood with a hum, gesturing to the bag Wind had snatched from the ground. “We’re low on potions.”

Twilight stood behind Wild, holding out his hand for the bag. Wind sighed before handing it over, as if disappointed to give it up. It wasn’t as if he had gotten attached to it, he held it for all of two minutes for goddess sake. 

Twilight groaned, sorting through the potions. “Two health potions and one magic potion.”

Warriors whistled, leaning against a tree near the edge of camp. “That’s an all-time low for us, right? Usually we’re better equipped than this.” 

“Maybe we would be if we hadn’t spent two weeks wandering around in a bunch of caves,” Legend barked out a dry laugh, shooting Hyrule a slightly accusatory glare. 

Hyrule blushed, pulling a map over his face. “Look, I’m sorry okay?” 

Twilight gave the bag one last check, grabbing something small with a frown. He turned to Wild, who simply shrugged. 

It looked like small sheets of paper, but Time wasn’t able to really tell before they were shoved back into the bag. Twilight tossed it back to Wind, who grinned, swinging it back over his shoulder. 

“Well, then I hope no one dies tragically before we can get more,” Wind laughed. 

“Won’t make any promises,” Legend deadpanned. 

“What kind of funeral do you want?”

“Just chuck my body into the ocean, that’s good enough.”

With Legend, time could never tell if he was being serious or joking. 

He feared both equally. 

“We all ready to go?” Twilight fidgeted, eyeing the forest around them. “I’d like to get moving soon, while the air’s still cool.”

Time glanced to Hyrule, who was roughly sketching on a small hand-drawn map, “If we have a destination then we should be all set.”

Hyrule knew his own land inside and out, and had easily traversed it without the help of a map on his own journey. Yet after a lot of pleading from the other heroes, their second trip through his Hyrule led to them buying a map. 

It made getting lost a whole lot harder, and goddess knows they needed help with that. 

“If anyone knows about strange monsters, it’d be the Sages. There’s one in Ruto Town, and if we stick to the road we should make it there before nightfall.” 

Hyrule turned the map towards Time, pointing at a small charcoal house with the words, ‘Town of Ruto’ written neatly above. A small circle labeled, ‘We Are HERE’ in a much cruder script sat on the edge of a forest, just north of a beautifully sketched castle. “The path is just an hour’s walk north, after that it’s a straight-shot.

“And yes, there’s an inn.”

“Then let’s go, I’d like to be able to sleep in an actual bed for once.” Time stretched, wincing as his back cracked and popped. Goddess, he was getting old, wasn’t he? “The ground does nothing to help my joints.”

Warriors scoffed, “Says the man who could fight an entire army without breaking a sweat.”

“Yes, but I will complain about my back for weeks afterwards.”

Hyrule glanced quickly at his map before folding it into his pocket, “Okay, follow me and stay on your guard. We shouldn’t be attacked but it’s better to be prepared than not.”

Heads nodded from around camp, all eyes focused on Hyrule. They were anxious to get back to a road, even more-so civilization. So with a soft sigh from Hyrule, a crinkle of paper being folded, and a step towards the forest, they were off. 

They filed into the woods, quickly assuming an unintentional formation. Hyrule and Legend took up the front, a folded map in Hyrule’s hand as the two idly chatted. Four was lagging behind Twilight, both quiet and observant of the twisted woods around them. 

Warriors, Sky and Wind followed closely behind the others, the latter of whom was launching into a very animated story. Warriors and Sky watched with genuine curiosity, Wind always was the best at telling stories. 

That left Time and Wild in the rear, both characteristically silent. 

That needed to change. 

“How you holding up, kid?” 

Wild shrugged, his eyes flitting around the forest with a nervousness easily perceived as perceptiveness. A lot about Wild could be seen as a positive, when in reality that couldn’t be further from the truth.

His insomnia was seen as a positive, as he was always the one to take watch. His fear of failure was masked by a false pretense that he was simply an overachiever, always wanting to take as much work from the others as possible. His strong, silent personality was really a self-imposed shackle, not wanting to speak out of line for fear of repercussions. 

Time hated that he was only just now realizing these things. 

“You need to let them know.”

“I know.”

“Then why haven’t you said anything?”

Wild sighed, “It’s hard.”

“Goodbyes always are.” Time smiled, clapping Wild on the shoulder and throwing off his balance. “But you have to believe in a future hello.”

“I just don’t know how to start.”

“Start what?”

Warriors stared back at them, Wind’s story seemingly finished. Wind glanced between Warriors and Wild, before shrugging and speeding up to match Four’s pace. Sky sighed, jogging to catch up. 

Only Warriors was butting into their conversation, but Time knew it was only a matter of time before the others joined suit. They really were a nosy bunch. 

The others would all argue that it was just curiosity. 

Wild stared at Warriors, his brow furrowed. “It’s nothing.”

Warriors scoffed, “It doesn’t sound like nothing.” He sighed, slowing his pace to walk next to Wild. “Look, I know the old man isn’t the best person to talk to, so I can’t imagine last night being anything short of extremely uncomfortable.” 

What in Hyrule was he talking—

Oh. 

Time snorted, frantically trying to cover it with a cough as Wild turned the brightest shade of crimson he had ever seen. 

“It—it’s nothing like—” 

Warriors laughed, pushing Time’s arm off of Wild and replacing it with his own. Wild stumbled from Time’s side to Warriors, mouth stuttering on silent words. “But don’t worry, I know all about those kinds of things. If you ever want to ask any questions, I’m always available.”

Time wheezed, falling into a coughing fit as Warriors frowned at him.

Wild stammered, “I—I don’t—” 

“Trust me, I’ve got more experience than the old man.” Time cackled as Warriors continued on, oblivious as to how flustered Wild was, He couldn’t even find it in himself to care that Warriors was casually insulting him. 

He would be great at giving the talk. 

“Afterall, he’s only ever been with one—”

“It’s not that!” 

Everyone jumped, turning to look at the flustered Wild. In all their time traveling, they’d only heard Wild raise his voice a handful of times. 

Once to warn someone of an incoming attack. 

Another time to let them know where he was after a cave-in. 

And now, to defend his innocence. 

Warriors laughed, his brow knit in confusion. “Then what is it?” 

“I have to leave.” 

Time felt the air crash against the group in unison, Wild’s words sinking in for everyone at the exact same time. 

Legend was the quickest to bounce back. 

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” He sneered, face twisted into a scowl yet his eyes brimming with fear. 

Wild took a deep breath, the red tinge of his cheeks fading away. “I’m going home.” 

* * *

“You will be careful, right?” Sky had been fretting over Wild for nearly fifteen minutes. This was nothing new, but it was getting old very quickly. 

“I’ll try.” 

Four chuckled, “You’ll need to do more than try, with your track record.” 

Adventuring had slowed to a crawl at this point, but Time couldn’t find it in himself to care. Wild was leaving, and everyone deserved a proper goodbye. 

“Please, the kid’s a one man army! If anything, Ganon’s the one who needs to be careful.” Warriors laughed, his arm still wrapped around Wild’s shoulders. 

All of them were a bit more clingy, and Time could tell that Wild was uncomfortable. But he stayed quiet, letting the others ruffle his hair, bump against him, or jostle him around. 

Hyrule groaned, “Yes, but this is also the same person who tends to get himself into stupid situations.”

“Like nearly getting thrown in jail,” Twilight chuckles, Wild’s blush swiftly returning. 

“You were part of that too.” 

“Or eating mystery mushrooms,” Wind chirped, sending a cringe through the group. 

“That was one time.” 

Time grinned, “Or almost setting a tree on fire.” 

“That wasn’t my fault.” 

Everyone laughed, and it was easy to force down the sadness lingering in them all.

At least for now. 

With a hum, Time began speeding up his pace, pulling ahead to walk next to Twilight. Everyone else had lagged behind shortly after Wild’s proclamation, leaving Legend with the map in the front, and a concerned Twilight closely behind. 

“What’s wrong, Pup?” Time whispered, leaning closer to Twilight. 

Twilight sighed, nodding his head towards Legend. The usually snarky hero had grown rather silent, distancing himself from the others and choosing to stare at the map, as if it was the only thing that existed. 

“He’s acting strange, won’t open up about it either. He just gets really defensive anytime I ask” 

Time huffed, “Something to do with Wild, you think?” 

“What else could it be? He was fine up until no—” 

Legend turned with a click of his teeth, glaring at the two with fury in his eyes. 

“I can hear you, you know.” 

Time ducked his head, letting a soft ‘sorry’ leave his lips as Legend huffed, turning his back to them once again. 

He could see what Twilight meant. 

A laugh from behind drew Time’s attention, and he smiled as Wild relaxed under Warriors’ hold. The kid was smiling, and this time it wasn’t a mask. 

“Don’t you still have to finish your knight training?” Wind asked, walking backwards as to face Wild as he spoke. 

“Yes, I left right in the middle of it actually.”

“Do they know where you went?”

“No, I didn’t exactly have a heads up to let them know.”

“So, what are you going to tell everyone?” Wind’s voice was a hush of disbelief. “You’ve been gone a long time.”

“To them I’ve only been gone a week, so I’ll say I was running some personal errands.”

“Are you sure they’ll buy it?” Four huffed, slowing his pace to match Wild’s, “Seems kinda far-fetched if you ask me.”

Wild hummed, “If they don’t, I’ll have my Dad vouch for me.”

Twilight spared a glance over his shoulder. “Speaking of which, are you excited to see your family again?” 

“Of course, I’ve never been away from them for this long before,” Wild chuckled. “During my training I’d leave for a few weeks at most, and I never went very far. This year away from them has felt like a lifetime.” 

Warriors laughed, ruffling Wild’s hair. “I didn’t know you could be so poetic, I’m proud. I hope you can instill the same melodramatic flair in your stories when you get back.”

“You are coming back, right?” Legend whispered, a strange fear laced in his voice that Time had never heard from him before. 

“Yes.” 

Time saw the way Wild’s fist clenched, the way he averted his gaze to the forest floor. Wild thought he was lying, and it took everything in Time to keep a straight face. 

“I’ll be quick, I promise.” 

“That’s—” Time lurched forward, grabbing onto his head as a piercing ring shot through his temples. He felt Twilight’s hands on his shoulders, barely registering the pain etched across the younger hero’s own features. 

He shut his eyes, feeling the ground warp and bend around his feet. 

Fuck. 

Cracking open his eyes, he watched as darkness warped around the trees, swirling and shifting patterns dug into reality itself, pulling it apart at the seams. 

A gate was opening right under their feet. 

The last thing he saw as the ground ceased to exist was Wild, falling down into the darkness and disappearing without a trace. 

And the others quickly followed suit. Down, through the ground and the air, a vast darkness of nothing encasing their very being. Flickers of life and color died out as quickly as they came, moving too fast to comprehend anything yet too slow to move. 

Then the darkness encased his mind, and he was no more. 

When he woke, they were down to eight.

* * *

“Oh! You gave Wild the sex talk!”

“WIND!”

  
  
  
  



	2. The Calm Before the Storm

“Hyrule, I swear to the goddess, if you burn down my house—”

“I won’t!”

“Are you sure? Cause I’m pretty sure soup isn’t supposed to smoke like that.”

“I’m following the recipe.”

“And where in the recipe does it say, ‘burn Legend’s house down,’ cause I’d love to see it.”

It had been said before but Time would repeat it until the end of his days. They all sucked at cooking. 

Wind groaned, bringing the back of his hand to his forehead as he flopped onto the small bed dramatically. The fabric bounced in waves underneath Time, the top of Wind’s head firmly pressed against his lower back. 

Legend’s bed definitely wasn’t made for more than one person. 

Time looked to the younger hero sprawled across the bed, pure and utter disgust written across his face. Glancing back to Legend and Hyrule, he couldn’t help but agree. 

They were bickering over an oozing pot of . . . something. 

The recipe card in Hyrule’s hands was apparently for cream of mushroom soup, but Time wasn’t exactly sure the concoction could be classified as such. The broth bubbled and hissed, bright yellow liquid splashed onto the lip of the pot and dripped down to the floor. Chunks of blackened mushrooms lazily floated near the surface, sending a strong waft of burning food through the room. 

Four had retreated outside the second Hyrule pulled out the recipe. 

Time felt on the verge of joining him. 

Twilight shot to his feet, a small stool clattering against the ground as it tried to stay upright. He huffed, snatching the recipe from Hyrule. His eyes darted from the ‘soup’ to Hyrule to the recipe and then back to the ‘soup.’ He frowned. 

“Hey ‘Rule?”

“Yeah?”

“How much butter did you use?”

“Three cups.”

“Three—” Twilight groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “Why in Ordona’s name did you use three cups of butter?”

Hyrule smiled sheepishly, glancing to his concoction. “We didn’t have enough milk, so I substituted.”

“The recipe called for six tablespoons of butter.”

“But butter and milk are both dairy, right?”

Well, at least that explained the color. 

In hindsight, it wasn’t very wise to put Hyrule on cooking duty. Sure, none of them were exceptionally great at it, but Hyrule was a special brand of cook. Primarily, the kind who can’t.

“You know, I saw an inn while we were heading this way,” Warriors hummed. He was leaning forward against the small table, arms crossed and his head propped against his hand. “It might not be a bad idea to go out and eat tonight. We’ve been on the road for weeks now, we deserve a break.”

“And I’d rather not die of food poisoning,” Legend huffed, grabbing the recipe card from Twilight. He turned to put it away, but froze. Time could barely make out the edge of a sad smile before Legend gently set it into the small box with the rest of the recipes. 

Wind snorted, tilting his head up so his chin rested near his collar bone. “Just looking at that soup makes my stomach twist.”

“Oi, don’t fuckin’ be rude. Hyrule’s doing amazingly.” 

“But you just said-”

“It’s called tough love, Wind. Only I get to be mean to ‘Rule.”

Hyrule chuckled, elbowing Legend as he mindlessly stirred the soup. Time felt himself smile, all Hyrule needed was a hat and he’d easily pass as a witch. Maybe one who exclusively makes poison.

“You’re right though, this definitely isn’t . . .” Hyrule jabbed the spoon into the liquid, sending a thick ripple of mushrooms and butter sloshing against the lip of the pot. “Edible.” 

That was certainly a word for it. 

He watched Sky snap a chest closed from the opposite corner of the room as Legend shot him a glare. A sheepish smile spread across his face as he rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. Time couldn’t blame him for being curious, Legend’s house was like a treasure trove. 

Chests lined nearly every wall, the lids threatening to pop open any moment and spit out all the trinkets crammed inside. No empty shelf space could be seen, covered entirely with various objects that each seemed to tell its own story. Old weapons and shields hung from hooks, tarnished by years of adventuring. An array of rings and gauntlets wobbled on the counters each time someone stood. A small pile of boots sat near the door, it was frankly too many boots for one person, but Time supposed he couldn’t judge. 

He was sure each and every one of these items had served Legend one purpose or another during his quests. 

“I’m sure it’s not too bad!” Sky smiled, brushing himself off as he stood. As organized as Legend’s house was, his absence had allowed a layer of dust to settle on nearly everything. If they weren’t all exhausted, they’d probably be cleaning. “With enough practice you’re sure to get as good as Wil—”

And there it was, the one word that managed to put everyone in a bad mood. 

The heroes were silent, not a single glance was shared between them as they all decided the walls and floor were much more interesting. Time wasn’t any better, staring at his hands and forcing his eyes to stay down. 

Goddess, Time wished they would just talk about hi—

What happened. Time wished they would just talk about what had happened. 

Time huffed, forcing himself to look up at the others. Sky had his hands over his mouth, looking down at his feet as he muttered something under his breath. 

A prayer, he was praying. And Time could only wish that Hylia would listen for once. 

Hyrule and Wind both had a look in their eyes, as if a slight breeze would shatter them into a million pieces. Tears built up in their eyes, oh Goddess they were going to cry. 

Twilight grabbed Hyrule’s hands, rubbing them together as he brought the brunette closer to his chest. Time ran a hand through Wind’s hair, it felt all too familiar. 

Wind chuckled, tears watering down the laughs, the last breath sounding more like a choke. “Yeah ‘Rule, you’re getting a lot better.”

“Thanks.”

Time coughed, pulling his hand out of Wind’s hair as the attention in the room slowly dragged onto him. He could have laughed, a room full of experienced heroes all moping around after one simple word. 

But any laugh died in his heart long before it reached his throat. 

“I think that a great idea, Warriors. We should—”

“We should what, Time?” 

Legend was glaring at Time, fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. Time could see his nails digging into his palms, breaking the skin and drawing a bit of blood. His jaw was clenched in anger, yet his eyes were sad. 

“Let’s just avoid talking about him and change the subject every time he’s mentioned? Let’s act like he never even existed?” His voice rose with each word, cracking slightly before he cleared his throat. “Maybe he was some sort of collective fever dream, we all woke up and now he’s gone! Or maybe we can pretend he’s dead.”

“Why can’t you say his name then?” Warriors blankly looked at Legend, leaning forward even more. He was calm, but the venom in his voice cut through the air like a knife. 

Hyrule pushed himself away from Twilight, reaching out to grab Legend’s hand, only to have it smacked away. Legend held Warriors gaze with a glare, scowling for seemingly hours. He huffed, his footsteps slamming against the floorboards as he stormed past everyone.

“You know what? Forget it.” 

The door slammed against its frame, shaking the walls and windows. Shelves rattled and a few rings clattered to the floor. Four’s head poked through the window, looking at each of them with confusion. 

_ “What happened?”  _ Four signed, looking between Time and Twilight. 

Time sighed, bringing his hands up and quickly signing,  _ “Tell you later, follow him.”  _

Four shot him a small thumbs up, turning to follow the storming Legend. Within seconds they were gone from sight, heading in the direction of town. 

At least Legend wouldn’t be alone. 

Wind tapped against his arm, sitting up with his legs crossed on the bed. Time turned his attention back to the others, only to find five pairs of eyes on him. He resisted the urge to frown, to snap at them to look for comfort from somewhere else. 

He wasn’t good at this. He never had been and he never would be. But he was a leader. He was the level-headed one who always knew what to do. It was just that this time, he was just as lost as the rest of them. 

The first week after Wild left had been somber, they filled the hole he left with jokes and stories. They made crazy speculations about what his journey would be like, what kinds of monsters he would face and the kinds of people he would meet. 

The second week, the speculation had died out, replaced with an underlying tone of worry. No one said anything about it, and bets on how quickly he’d come back were made. 

They all lost the bet when two months later they hadn’t gotten any word of him. 

At three months of radio silence, no one wanted to mention him by name. 

They were worried, and that worry ate away at them. So, being the responsible and brave heroes they were, they shoved those emotions down, avoiding the problem by never acknowledging that it existed. 

Yet Sky still prayed every night, the Master Sword singing to him from his lap. He had let Time know fairly early on that Fi’s connection to Wild had been severed. 

Time decided that the others didn’t need to know that.

Wind had taken pictures of all the new places they went for a while, keeping them in a small box to show Wild when he got back. The pictures sat at the bottom of his bag and the pictobox hadn’t been touched in nearly two months. 

The hope that he would someday return grew smaller and smaller with each passing day. 

Yet what of the hero who had no hope to begin with?

Legend wasn’t exactly what Time would call emotionally stable, his mood swung rapidly even on a good day. He rarely had any good days anymore. He would go from snarky to angry, angry to silent, and then silent to snarky. A vicious cycle of self-destructive emotions, lashing out at others yet regret clear in his voice. 

Time didn’t know how to help. 

It wasn’t for a lack of trying by any means, Time tried to talk to him nearly every day. Yet any advance made by Time, or anyone else for that matter, was immediately shut out. 

Warriors huffed, pushing himself off the table as he combed through his hair. “I shouldn’t have said anything, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Sky smiled, the corners of his mouth betraying its dishonesty. 

“No, it’s not.” Warriors swung open the door, looking over his shoulder to Time. “I’ll go after them and try to apologize; meet you at the Inn?”

“Wait.” Wind swung his legs off the bed, stumbling forward to stand by Warriors. “I’ll come.” 

Warriors nodded, and then they were gone. The door creaked as it slowly closed itself, never fully latching, letting a thin strip of light shine onto the remaining heroes. 

Hyrule stared at the pot of soup, mindlessly poking around the ashes and embers beneath it to snuff them out. “Sorry about the soup.” 

Twilight waved him off, bending down to lift the pot from the fire. “It’s not a problem, we can always bottle it up for later.” 

Hyrule’s nose scrunched as he turned to Twilight. “I really don’t think we should. It might kill someone if they try eating it.” 

With a chuckle, Time hefted himself off the bed. He gently kicked open one of Legend’s chests, the lid snapping open and revealing a few empty bottles of various shapes and sizes. 

If someone knew where to look, they could find just about anything in Legend’s house. 

“We won’t know until we try it.” Time tossed him one of the glass bottles, wincing as the younger hero scrambled to catch it before it shattered against the floor. Maybe throwing it wasn’t the best idea. “And like Sky said earlier, you’re getting much better at cooking.”

Hyrule smiled, fidgeting with the bottle and he turned towards the soup and away from Time. 

“Do—do you think Legend was right?” 

Sky shuffled, grabbing one of the bottles from Time’s hands and sitting next to Hyrule. “What do you mean?”

Hyrule sighed, stopping mid scoop and letting the mouth of the bottle remain submerged. “Are we avoiding talking about him?”

Yes. 

“No, of course we aren’t.” Time forced himself to smile. 

Twilight set a hand on Hyrule’s shoulder. “We’re all just a little on edge right now.”

“We could talk about him now, if you want to,” Sky said, pulling Hyrule’s hand out of the soup before it could fall in any deeper. The tips of his fingers dripped with yellow, and Time resisted the urge to make a face. 

Goddess, was he glad he didn’t have to eat that soup. 

Hyrule flicked his hand in disgust, setting the bottle onto the ground as he wiped his hand against his shirt. 

“I’m so worried about him, I think we all are. I know we aren’t talking about it because it hurts too much, and it only hurts because we fear the worst.” Hyrule sighed, “I hate that we don’t talk as much anymore, and when we do it ends up like this.” 

He gestured around to the nearly empty room. “We should know how to deal with this, how to keep our emotions in check. But we don’t, none of us know what to do and we’re terrified because of that.

“We’re tearing ourselves apart.”

He groaned, rubbing the back of his hands against his eyes. “I just—I want things to be normal. I want Wild to come back so we can stop feeling empty. I want to talk to the others without feeling like I’m walking on thin ice. I want to know that everyone is safe. 

“I mean— Legend could be right, couldn’t he? We might never be the same again if Wild’s dead.”

Time set the few remaining bottles back into the chest before snapping the lid closed. “Of course we would never be the same, you can’t expect to return to an old normal if something is missing from it. 

“When something or someone has made a big enough impact in your life, it’s near impossible to act like that impact never existed. And even when he does come back, it won’t be the same. We’ll need to adjust, just as we need to adjust to his absence.”

Hyrule frowned. “But what if he never comes back? He’s a kid fighting against goddess knows what and—”

Twilight snorted, cutting Hyrule off. “Have you forgotten that most of us were kids when we first started our adventures? Shoot, you were only twelve when you went on your first quest to kill Ganon.

“He’s a strong kid; just as stubborn and courageous as the rest of us. Even if the goddesses have no intention of us ever seeing each other again, he’ll find a way.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

Sky smiled, wrapping his arm around Hyrule’s shoulders. “Then we move on, adjust, and pray to the goddess that he’s happy.”

* * *

Time sighed, desperately pinching the bridge of his nose to ease an oncoming headache. Noise from the Inn pounded against his ears, yet his own thoughts slammed louder inside his skull. No matter how hard he tried to block it all out, the pain behind his eyes and brow steadily grew. 

A rather inviting meal sat untouched in front of him, his appetite non-existent. The tension in the group pulled against both his heart and his stomach, even as they laughed from across the Inn. 

Time was their anchor, a strong leader that needed to guide them both physically and emotionally. They were scared, but even he was having a hard time hiding his fear. 

A fear for Wild, the small boy he had grown to love as if he were his own child. Fear for the others, a band of brothers tearing apart at the seams yet managing to hide it with smiles and jokes. But mostly fear for himself, feeling as though if he hid inside his heart for much longer he would crack.

And he couldn’t afford to crack, not now. 

“You okay?” 

The barstool to his left scraped against the floor, digging into the scratch marks made from countless patrons repeating the exact same motion. The stool squeaked as a weight pressed down on top of it, the person’s arms coming to rest on the counter. 

Time ran a hand through his hair, still staring at his food. “No, but that’s my problem, not yours.”

“Doesn’t have to be that way.”

Time hummed, pushing the plate of food away from himself and towards the person to his left. He could practically feel their scowl against his skin. 

“You need to eat.”

“As do you.”

“Already did.”

“Yes, but you’re known for being ‘hungry as a wolf’ as they say.”

Twilight groaned, pushing the food back towards Time. “You’re awful.”

Time simply shrugged, grinning as his protege turned a slight shade of pink. Maybe it was his inner parent speaking, but Time thoroughly enjoyed gently embarrassing the other heroes. 

He mostly blamed Malon for that. 

Twilight tapped his foot against the floor, drumming his fingers on the counter. It was an eerily familiar beat, a song Time knew but couldn’t quite pinpoint. 

It reminded him of a past he’d rather forget entirely. 

“Do—” Twilight sighed, running his hand through his hair until it rested on the back of his neck. “Do you want to talk?”

“That sounds like a great idea.” Time shifted his weight, resting his chin on his hand as he leaned forward onto the counter. He tilted his head in Twilight’s direction, nodding. “You can start.”

“That isn’t what I meant.”

“But that doesn’t mean you don’t have things to say. I can tell you have a lot weighing on you as well. So spill it, Pup.”

Twilight shuffled, refusing to meet Time’s eyes and instead stared at the faded and worn counter top. Time felt his own curiosity wander, taking in the small details of the Inn. 

It obviously had a lot of history, the scuffs and scrapes littering the tables and counters spoke of numerous patrons, filling the seats day after day, night after night. Permanent stains of varying colors littered the counter’s surface, deep gouges and scratches in the wood told of messy fights only remembered by the creaking floorboards and the loose nails they housed. 

Wallpaper peeled off the walls, a faded yellow that the Innkeeper’s daughter insisted was green. Perhaps it had been at one point in time, but now it barely clung to the wooden walls; give it a few more years and it might even look white. 

Scents both appetizing and revolting wafted around in the musty air, the little ventilation through the building rested solely on two small windows near the front door. An unlit chandelier creaked from above, ready to light up the room when the sun would inevitably dip below the horizon. 

The inn was homey, almost comforting in a strange way. 

Twilight’s sigh pulled him back out of his musings. “We need answers.”

Time folded his hands on the counter, silent as he waited for Twilight to elaborate.

“I can’t stop thinking about what Hyrule was saying earlier. About how we’re all shutting each other out. I mean, he’s right. That’s exactly what we’re doing; we’re confused and scared and we don’t know how to voice that. 

“We’re lost and none of us have the map.” 

Twilight groaned, tilting his head up to stare at the ceiling. “We’ve all been through the same thing Wild’s going through, yet none of us know how to deal with it. For once, we’re the outsiders to what’s happening. We aren’t the ones risking our lives to seal away a great evil or save a land this time. 

“It’s different knowing what someone has already gone through, you can’t change that and you know that they lived to tell the tale. But he’s experiencing it right now, and none of us know the outcome.”

Time laughed softly, “Think about how your family in Ordon felt about your journey. How Wind’s sister and grandma worry about him each time he leaves, afraid he’ll never return. We’re feeling what we put everyone we loved through.”

“. . . These feelings suck.”

“Yeah.”

An unspoken importance hung down over them, and Time forced himself to clear his throat. Something else was bothering Twilight. He could see it in the way he kept tapping his foot, chewing at his lip. 

“What else is on your mind?”

Twilight leaned forward, pulling his gaze down from the ceiling and back to Time. 

“Have you been having any dreams lately?”

Not the direction he expected the conversation to go. Time frowned, trying to recall the countless sleepless nights. A sleep-deprived fog greeted him, spanning back nearly three months. 

“Not any I can remember, why?”

“I keep having these weird dreams. They used to happen once in a while, maybe once a week or two. But now, each time I close my eyes I see things . . . things I shouldn’t, things that don’t make any sense. Scenes I can’t begin to comprehend, faces of people I’ve never met. It’s probably nothing, but they keep me up at night.”

No. 

No, it wasn’t nothing.

“Well that certainly doesn’t sound like nothing. Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Time kept his face straight, but all he wanted to do was scream. 

He couldn’t lose another one. Not so soon. 

He wanted to pray, to press his chest against the floor and weep beneath the goddesses feet. He would do anything. If only they would stop taking his boys away. 

“What was I supposed to say? That I’m having nightmares of things I’ve never seen? That I feel the pain of death rip across my chest each time I close my eyes, even though I have no right to know what that feels like? The people and places I see are so foreign and yet familiar at the same time. It’s like I’m someone else entirely when I fall asleep.

“How do you explain that?”

“I think you did a pretty good job explaining it right now.”

Twilight frowned, “You know what I mean.”

Time did know what he meant. And he knew exactly what was happening. But by the goddess did he wish that wasn’t the case. 

“You’re having visions.”

“Visions of what thought?” Twilight exasperated, worry and confusion knitting his brow upwards. He wanted answers, and Time wasn’t sure he had them all. 

“Perhaps the past, things forgotten that need to be remembered. Or of the future, of things to come or disasters to prevent. Or maybe somewhere in-between, a vision of that which is possible, but it is up to you to decide it’s fate.”

“What do you think it means?”

“Only you can make that decision. I haven’t seen what you have.”

Twilight fell silent, his face scrunching in thought as his fingers twitched. Time watched the others move around the tables behind them, the Inn was relatively empty save for the heroes. The Innkeeper and his daughter were in the back, presumably tending to the kitchen, while an older man sat passed out in the corner. 

Legend had disappeared shortly after the last four arrived at the Inn, ‘going to talk to his Zelda’ he said. Time almost believed him, if not for the fact that he fled in the exact opposite direction of the castle. He wasn’t worried, Legend was home and he had every right to go where he pleased. Time knew he’d be back by morning, he always was.

“Last night’s dream was different,” Twilight whispered, pulling Time’s attention back to him.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I heard a voice. The first sound I’ve heard throughout all the dre— visions,” he corrected himself, stumbling over his words. “She asked me what my purpose was.”

The pit in Time’s stomach dropped, “She?”

“It sounded like a woman, someone not of this world.”

Time snorted, a flat attempt to lighten the mood, “That phrase no longer carries much importance, you could say that everyone in this very room was not from this world and you wouldn’t be telling a single lie.”

“I think it was Hylia.” Twilight paused, frowning even more before clarifying, “Or at the very least a goddess vessel.”

Time coughed, choking as the air slammed down against his lungs. “What?”

Twilight shrugged. “It’s just a guess, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. She’s known for her interference, right?”

Twilight had no idea. 

“What did you say to her?”

“I told her my purpose was to protect those dear to me. She said I wasn’t doing a very good job.”

“That’s . . . ominous.”

Twilight snorted, “Yeah.”

Twilight’s foot stopped tapping, and Time felt his heart squeeze as Twilight met his eyes. 

“I think I have to leave.”

* * *

“You know, he’s handling this a lot better than I thought.” Warriors sat next to Time, an amused smile tugging at his mouth.

“Yeah but he hasn’t like, moved or anything in at least an hour. Do you think it broke him?” Wind leaned against Time’s back, his head resting on the top of Time’s.

“It hasn’t been an hour,” Four huffed, twisting a stool around before plopping down. “And he’ll be okay, he just needs some time.”

They were back in Legend’s house, one more hero short. Twilight had broken the news to the others bluntly, and when they woke the next morning he was gone. 

Legend was certainly still taking it in. 

He was completely silent, arms loosely folded in his lap as his eyes stared at the wall, fixated on nothing in particular. His back was turned to them, and all they could see was the slow rise and fall of his chest. 

Well, Time could at least appreciate that he wasn’t yelling. 

“How long do you think Twi will be gone for?” Sky questioned, pressing his head into his hands. He was currently in possession of the bed, laying on his stomach as his feet kicked the air mindlessly. 

“It shouldn’t be lo—”

“Let’s not jinx it,” Warriors cut Time off, anxiously looking between him and Sky. “Let’s just assume he’ll be back eventually.” 

Wind hummed, rocking his and Time’s head back and forth. “Why do you think he had to leave?”

“Family emergency maybe?” Four shrugged. 

Time supposed that could make sense, but that didn’t explain all the weird visions—

“Maybe he went to help someone?” Legend had turned in his chair, arm pressed against the back as he leaned to look at them. 

Sky frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Legend shrugged, standing from the chair and assuming his usual smirk. 

“We all travel together so we don’t die, right? Well maybe someone else out there needs someone like Twilight to make sure they don’t die as well.” 

“A new hero?” Wind gasped, leaning forward and nearly sending him and Time crashing forward into the floor. 

“I never said that. Just someone who needs company.” 

Warriors snorted, “Or you’re over-analyzing things.” 

“I can kick you out of my house, pretty boy. Your hair’s not going to look good when you’ve been sleeping outside.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the kind comments everyone left on the last chapter, you really managed to make my whole week! <3
> 
> EDIT: And thank you so very much Virgo for proofing this chapter and enlightening me on the brilliance of m-dashes!  
(Minor edits have been made btw, nothing content-wise, just grammar and formatting)


	3. The Storm

“Almost done.”

“Shit.”

“Watch your fuckin’ language.”

“I’m so sorry about them, Gramps.”

Four’s grandfather chuckled, twirling a pipe between his fingers as Legend and Hyrule bickered in the corner. “It’s quite alright, m’boy. I haven’t had such good company in a long time.”

Time wasn’t exactly sure that Smith knew what ‘good company’ was. 

Roughly three hours prior the heroes had all but collapsed into Smith’s house, many of them injured and exhausted. The man had wasted no time getting them situated, offering medical supplies and a place to rest until they recovered. 

Time had soon found himself with a new set of stitches on his forearm, sitting across a small table from Four and his grandfather. 

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Time smiled. “I bet you see all sorts of entertaining things, being a blacksmith and all.” 

“Bah!” Smith waved his hand with a grunt. “Nothing but boring ol’ knights and grandsons who don’t visit nearly enough.” 

Four huffed, adjusting the sling wrapped around his arm. “I visit whenever I have the chance. I just haven’t had enough ti—” 

“Argh!” 

Legend snorted, setting the bloodied needle onto a wet rag. “See, that wasn’t so bad.” 

Hyrule groaned, reaching up to rub his newly stitched ear before Legend smacked his hand away. 

“Don’t touch it, it’s still healing.” 

“I have healing magic, I heal things by touching them.” 

Legend ignored him, instead tossing a cork onto the floor. He tipped the bottle on its side, letting the red potion soak into a once clean cloth. Before Hyrule could voice otherwise, the dripping fabric was set on his ear. 

Hyrule hissed, recoiling away from Legend as he tried to adjust the rag. Before his hands could even reach anywhere close to his face, a half emptied bottle of potion was shoved into them. 

“You’re in no state to use any more magic. You’ve already healed everyone else up, so drink the damn potion and go to sleep.” 

Hyrule frowned, “But I—”

Time groaned, “Just drink the potion, we can restock tomorrow. But right now we need to make sure your ear isn’t going to fall off.” 

With a sigh Hyrule tipped the bottle to his lips. His nose scrunched and Time could hear him hold back a gag as the last of the potion slid down his throat. 

Smith laughed at his expression, “Even experienced adventurers hate potions, ey?” 

Hyrule grimaced, setting the emptied bottle onto the small crate next to him. “I’ll never get used to the taste. Something that heals you shouldn’t burn your throat on the way down.” 

Time would argue that it was better than nothing, but he kept his mouth shut. 

Legend jumped off the crate he was sitting on, snatching the bloodied rag and thread from beside him. He grabbed onto Hyrule’s arm, pulling him off the crate stack and balancing him as his feet hit the ground. 

“We’re using your bed, Four.” 

Four shrugged as Legend led Hyrule up the stairs, the latter’s steps weighted down by the fog of fatigue. As much as they burned going down, red potions really knocked a person out. 

As the last of the stairs creaked Smith raised his pipe to his lips. He inhaled deeply before sighing, spilling smoke across the tabletop and letting it drip off the edges. The smoke tailed upwards, diffusing into the air and hitting Time’s senses in an instant. 

After Talon had moved off the ranch, Time had relished in the fact that he’d no longer be surrounded by the thick haze of his pipe. The smell alone made him want to gag, it was too dry; and it reminded him of ReDead’s breath oddly enough. 

But now, he found himself nostalgic for the smell, for it reminded him of the time he first moved into the ranch. The warm embrace from his future father-in-law after Time asked for his blessing. The stench of Talon’s pipe had seeped into Malon’s clothes, pressed against Time’s face as his wife all but threw herself at her newly returned husband. 

Smith wrapped his arm around his grandson as he let his pipe fall slack between his fingers. “Are the others going to show up later?” 

Time frowned, that was a strange way to word a question like that. 

Actually, that was a weird question to begin with. 

Four coughed and Time barely noticed him elbow his grandfather. “No, it’s just us.” 

Smith frowned as Four held his gaze, a silent plea evident even from across the table. His grandfather sighed, nodding. 

Before he paused, his frown deepening. 

“What of your ‘cousin?’” 

Oh, right. Wild had been here before. 

“He left about four months ago to take care of something in his own world.” Four leaned against his grandfather’s side, a flicker in his eyes barely noticed. It was as if his very eyes were having a disagreement, shifting between a deep blue and a striking red. 

They settled into a red as Smith pulled him closer, scooting the stool Four was sitting on towards him. 

Time had to wonder if Four even realized that his eyes gave away his emotions. 

“We’re actually two men short,” Time added. “Another one of ours left about a week ago with some business to take care of as well.” 

Four sighed, “It wouldn’t be such a big deal if their absence wasn’t nearly getting us killed.” 

Time didn’t want to admit that Four was right. 

But he was. 

When Wild had left, they really only noticed the hole left in their hearts. Sure, once and a while someone would slip up, Warriors would put them in a formation that just couldn’t work with the missing person, but they could easily manage. 

But the simple slip ups became a much larger deal when Twilight left. 

A day after Twilight’s departure they had stepped through a gate into Four’s hyrule. A day later Four was out of commission, his arm snapped in half after they had been cornered by a pack of keatons. And while the monsters themselves weren’t any stronger than those they had fought before, the absence of two of their fighters tipped the scales away from the heroes’ favor.

They weren’t able to adapt quick enough, suffering a multitude of injuries. Wind’s side had been sliced open after he pushed Sky out of an attack, taking the hit himself. They’d stitched him up and shoved a couple potions his way, but even three days later Time caught him wincing if he turned too quickly. 

Warriors and Hyrule had gotten injured just a few hours earlier. Warriors ankle and knee were bruised grotesquely, beaten to a pulp by one very angry stalfos. Hyrule had nearly been short an ear thanks to the same stalfos exchange, requiring a full stitching service by Legend. 

Time hadn’t expected Legend to be an expert on stitching people back together, but then again Time tended to be surprised by the others nearly every day. 

He wasn’t surprised, however, that Legend was hiding an injury of his own. While Time wasn’t sure how serious it was, or even where it was at, he could tell by the way Legend hobbled around that it wasn’t anything small. 

He’d ask Warriors to hold him down tomorrow so he could look at it. 

Smith smiled, an old and worn smile that held years and years of history behind it. The curl of his lips was nearly hidden by his thick beard. “Well, I pray they return to you soon.” 

“I do too,” Four sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned more into Smith, resting his head on his chest. 

Time felt a warm feeling build in his chest looking at the two. As much as Time liked the feeling of being the team ‘Dad,’ it was nice to see the heroes with their other families. 

“You raised Four, is that correct?” 

Smith raised an eyebrow at Time. “Yes, why?” 

Time chuckled, “Well, I was just hoping you would have some embarrassing stories from when he was a kid.” 

Smith beamed as Four’s eyes shot open, a deep purple glare staring at Time. 

“Don’t—” 

“Where do I begin?” 

* * *

“SHIT!” 

“FUCKIN’ LANGUAGE, ‘RULE!” 

Time could feel his heart pound against his chest as he ran, heavy breaths pushing against his lips. Yet all he could hear was the boom of thunder, parting through the downpour of rain every few seconds. 

He squinted through the darkness surrounding them, a faint beacon flickering in and out of existence from afar. Time could fear the splashes of footsteps around him between the crackling screams of the sky. Fierce and wild bolts of lightning danced through the air, illuminating the small hilltop for a blink of the eye before plunging it back into darkness. 

A scarf dashed out of his view as darkness surrounded them. 

The air shook as a boom slammed down against the heroes. 

Sky slipped to his right, the sword at his back reflecting the lightning crackling above. 

Wind’s yell drowned in the thunder following the flash. 

“—ILDING UP AHEAD!” Time could barely make out the tail end up Wind’s scream. 

Time grabbed onto Sky’s arm, pulling him off the ground with little warning. Sky stumbled before Time steadied him, practically dragging Sky behind him as they ran. 

Hyrule’s lips moved quickly as lighting struck from behind, cracking open the ground and throwing dirt into the air. 

Of all the switching between worlds they had done, Time definitely put this one near the top for being the absolute worst. 

Time let go of Sky, chancing a glance behind him to see Four and Legend struggle to keep up. Four’s sling had all but fallen off, his good arm wrapped under Legend to keep him upright. 

“SLOPE!” A voice yelled through the storm as Time felt his foot slide downwards. He leaned forward, trying to steady himself as a hand grabbed onto his shoulder from behind, pulling his upright. 

Just a few feet in front of them sat a building of some sort, the warm glow of the lanterns inside acting as their beacon. A silhouette stood in the mouth of the building, frozen in place as a bolt of lightning struck the air between the heroes. 

Before the following boom could tear through the air the silhouette was already darting towards them, a small lantern bobbing beside their head. A faint voice yelled out to them, but the words were lost to the thunder. 

The figure skidded to a stop beside Wind, pulling him up as the youngest’s feet slipped from under him. The lantern jerked towards the heroes before widely swinging towards the building, as if the person was showing them where to go. 

Yeah, Time had kinda figured out where to go a long time ago, but thanks. 

A sparking noise pierced through the storm, and Time whipped his head around to face it. Hyrule’s sword was sparking on his back, a flash of lightning near the top of the hill illuminated his face just long enough for Time to see the fear in his eyes. 

That wasn’t good. 

“GET INSIDE!” 

The figure rushed towards Hyrule, grabbing onto his wrists and pulling him forward. They stumbled forward with a new urgency. With each pounding step another spark shot off the sword, hitting Warriors shield. 

The two objects began to spark in unison. 

With one final shove the heroes stumbled into the building. The ground shook just outside the entrance, lightning piercing a spot just outside the entrance. 

The spot they had been less than a second ago. 

Time gasped, bending forward and resting his hands on his knees. He focused on his breathing, trying to steady the beating of his heart. 

“Is everyone okay?” Four leaned against a beam, his sling limply hanging around his neck. 

Time looked around the small building, counting the drenched heads around him. Six, and he made seven. 

Oh thank the goddesses, no one else was gone. 

“Re-opened a stitch I think,” Wind grumbled, peeling the soaked blue shirt back to reveal his side. The bottom most stitch was ripped open, yet the thin layer of skin over the gash remained strong. 

“Four’s splint needs to be redone,” Sky wheezed, leaning against Warriors as he gripped at his chest. 

The figure holding the lantern sighed loudly, drawing attention to himself as he set the lantern down. He was a portly man, freckles dotting his cheeks and the skin under his kind eyes. His hat was soaked, dripping water down his face and neck before her tore it off, wringing it as best he could. 

“You lot certainly know how to make a dramatic entrance,” the man chuckled, taking off a yellow scarf and letting it hang on a saddle rack. 

“That’s one way to put it,” Legend hissed, pressing a hand firmly against his lower back. 

Time took a moment to fully survey their shelter from the raging storm. He watched as the fabric walls snapped back and forth in the wind, held together by wooden beams and a solid floor. To Time, it didn’t make sense. Why build such an elaborate and complex tent instead of an actual build.

But he would admit, there was a certain charm to it. 

Fabrics of all materials and designs draped across the rafters, filling the empty space near the center and edges of the tent. It was clearly a newer structure, yet well worn nonetheless. The floorboards were all perfectly hammered in, not a single nail or board poking up, yet dirt and scuff marks littered the wood. 

Small lanterns illuminated the place, dangling from the center of the tent around the thick center beam. They hung from posts surrounding the edges of the tent, and small candles sat on bedside tables. 

Ah, Time almost didn’t notice the beds lining the wall. 

One of the beds was taken, a half-asleep girl with a blanket draped on her head lazily looked towards the heroes. She frowned, before huffing and flopping back onto her bed. A faint snore came from her direction a few seconds later. 

Aside from the portly man next to them and the passed-out woman, two more people sat in the room. One was pressed against one of the wooden beams, a comically large pack on his back. Time had to wonder just how heavy that bag actually was, seeing as the man didn’t look like he had much in the way of strength. 

The other person in the room was leaning across a large counter near the entrance, staring at the heroes with wide and concerned eyes. “By the goddesses, are you boys okay?” 

Warriors waved him off, rubbing Sky’s back as he struggled to breath. “We’re fine, just shaken.” 

The man behind the counter shook his head in disbelief. “It’s not often we see a large group of travelers around, especially in these conditions.” 

The portly man huffed, “What in Farosh’s name were you doing out in a storm like this, wearing metal of all things?!”

Time wasn’t sure what a Farosh was, but he shrugged. “We got lost and the storm crept up on us before we knew it.” 

The counter man nodded, before tilting his head towards the beds. “Parcy, come help us with these guests!”

The snoring woman, presumably Parcy, grumbled. She sat up from the bed, pulling the blanket from her head and revealing a mess of black hair. “HEY! I’m sleepy, show some re—” 

She trailed off as her eyes widened, fully taking the in drenched heroes. Time swore he caught her staring as his sword, but she was on her feet before he could question it. She ran a hand through her hair, smoothing the knots down as she dug around in a bag near her feet. 

“Where are the spare potions?” She buttoned a grey hooded cloak around her neck, flipping the hood up so it shielded most of her face from view. 

“We have some fairy tonics in a bag under the hay.” 

She nodded, turning to the group. Time felt the invisible prick of eyes on him before she hummed. She stepped out into the rain, before pausing and turning back to the heroes. 

“When I get back, you’re telling me where you got your weapons.” 

The counter man sighed as the hem of Parcy’s cape disappeared into the darkness. “Ignore her, I won’t let her hound you until you’re fully settled in.” He turned towards the shelves to his right, stepping onto some unseen step under the counter so he could reach the top shelf. “Speaking of, let’s get you boys some dry clothes.” 

With a grunt, a large box slammed onto the counter, dust spraying outwards and into the faces of those unfortunate enough to be too close. Time being one of those. He coughed, waving his hand in front of his face to clear the remaining dust from around him. 

“Hope you don’t mind, but these are all clothes left behind by patrons in the past. So the sizes are a bit all over the place.” 

Hyrule popped open the lid of the box, pulling a long, golden dress from the top. “Thank you—” He trailed off with a frown, folding the dress and setting it on the counter next to the box. “I don’t believe you’ve given us your name.”

The counter man smiled, “Ah, it’s Ember.” 

“And my name is Gotter,” The portly man announced, leaning against the large pole in the center of the tent. “What do you call yourselves?” 

Time shuffled through the clothes, finding more variety than he initially figured. The clothes ranged from an array of almost new dresses, to several torn and tattered shirts that looked as if they were hundreds of years old. He felt Wind lean against his side, peering over his shoulder into the box with a hint of dismay.

Time grabbed what he guessed would fit him, a dark purple tunic with small triangles on the sleeves and hems and some short and torn brown pants. He tucked them on the counter to keep them dry, passing an orangish-brown shirt and blue pants to Wind before handing the box over to Sky.

“Well, there’s Sky, Wind, Warriors, Four, Hyrule, and Legend,” he gestured to each as he said their name, Wind offering a cheery wave when the eyes were focused on him. Time pointed to himself, “And you may call me, Time.”

Gotter snorted, “Interesting names, poetic in a way.” 

Four peered into the box as Sky dug through it, pulling a cream long sleeved shirt and some brown pants out with a frown. They definitely looked too big for him, but Four shrugged and draped them over his shoulder. 

While they would much rather wear their own spare clothes, they’d have to take what they could get. At least until everything else dried out. 

“So, where exactly are we?” Legend huffed, snatching a bundle of light yellow fabric held out by Sky. With a wet thump, he tossed his bag down onto the ground, a small puddle forming around the bottom. 

“Riverside stable, the most gorgeous of all the stables,” Gotter spoke, an earnest love for the place evident in his voice. “The view of Dueling Peaks to the southeast is simply stunning against the river’s reflection. The sunrise hits the silhouette of Death Mountain and Vah Ruta perfectly, and it sets behind the Gerudo Canyon as the stars enter the sky.

“It’s simply breath-taking.”

Ember leaned across the counter, gesturing to a large map pinned on the tent wall. “You said you were lost, correct? If you tell us where you’re heading we’d be more than happy to point you in the right direction.” 

Sky chuckled, “Actually, we’re not sure where we’re going.” 

Ember just nodded, pulling an armful of blankets from under the counter. “So you’re wanderers then? I see a lot of them passing by nowadays” 

Time frowned, pausing midway through pulling the shirt over his head. Since when were wanderers commonplace? 

Actually, where even were they? 

Riverside stable rang no bells for him, and a quick glance around the room showed a lack of familiarity in the eyes of the other heroes. They weren’t in any of their Hyrules, were they? 

Well, that complicated things. 

Parcy darted into the stable, a bag clutched in her hand as he ripped off her hood. “Can we get a fire going in here? They’d dry out a lot faster if we did.” 

Gotter nodded, pulling something from his pocket and walking over to where the backpack man slept. He shook the man awake, whispering something to him before the man all but tossed a piece of flint to him. Time chuckled as the man’s head lolled forward within the second, already fast asleep. 

Parcy smiled, setting the potions on the counter before turning to the heroes, a hand on her hip. “Now, mind telling me where you found those weapons of yours?” 

* * *

After they had all dried up, and they no longer looked like drowned rats, most everyone had passed out somewhere in the stable. 

Four and Wind laid sprawled out on one of the spare beds; Four’s good arm was wrapped around Wind’s middle while Wind’s foot kept Four’s legs from moving. 

Sky and Hyrule sat near the side, pressed against each other’s sides and cocooned in a mountain of spare blankets. The top most layer was a thick, brown and yellow sheet, decorated with hand stitched horses. 

Legend was asleep in the other spare bed, a large empty spot sat next to him where the covers had been pulled back. 

Time sighed, tearing his gaze away from the sleeping heroes and to the storm outside. It’s been nearly five hours since they arrived at the stable, and the storm made no indication of stopping anytime soon. 

“So . . . what’s the plan?” 

Time watched a streak of lightning tear across the sky, dark and angry clouds shining at him for a second before sinking back into darkness. The storm was much more enjoyable to watch when you weren’t actually running for your life in it. 

“I don’t know,” Time admitted, turning back to look at Warriors. Time ran a hand through his hair, which had mostly dried by this point. 

Warriors snorted, bringing a cup of tea to his lips. “Well, it’s a new Hyrule, we know that much.” 

“It could be Twilight’s.” 

“I doubt it, we’ve been there before and not once did I hear anything about a Dueling Peak or a Vah Ruta.” 

“Wild’s Hyrule then?” 

Warriors paused, setting the empty teacup onto the table. “We would have no way of knowing, we’ve never seen his version of Hyrule and he never talked about it. Besides I don’t want to get my hopes up. So let’s just assume we’re somewhere entirely new until we’re given proof otherwise.” 

Time groaned, “Alright, so we’re somewhere new. But why?” 

“There’s always been a reason as to where we end up, isn’t there? We just have to find our reason and then we can leave.” 

It made sense, but Time wished he had more information. He hated being left in the dark, especially when it came to switching worlds. One of these days, they were going to end up somewhere where they couldn’t afford to be in the dark. 

“Hey Ember?” Warriors called out, holding back a laugh as Ember’s dart jolted up from the counter. 

“. . . Yes?”

“How far is the nearest town from here?” 

Ember frowned, tapping his chin in thought. “Kakariko Village is about a day and a half walk from here, and Hateno is just half a day further. Any other town is weeks away.” 

“Are there any shortcuts or—” 

Time tuned out their conversation as he laid his eyes on a small book resting near the nearly drained teapot.  _ Super Rumor Mill Version 4  _ . Curiosity overwhelmed him, and he opened it to the first page. The book seemed new, as if someone had written just earlier that day and left it behind. The pages were immaculate, and the cover showed no sign of wear and tear. 

It was the fourth version as well, perhaps it was part of a series? 

_ From the moment I wake to the moment I sleep, my mind is full of rumors. Even my dreams are gossipy! Traysi here! You fine folks keep up with dream rumors too, don’t you? _

Time smiled and turned it over in his hands, eyeing a small signature on the back. The golden ink shimmed on the back cover, a small heart dotted the ‘i’ in the name. He flipped back to the first page. 

_ Well, this one’s so good it might as well be a dream. Listen up, history buffs! _

“What are you reading?”

Time’s eyes didn’t leave the pages as he answered, “Not sure, a rumor book I think.”

“Ah,” Ember smiled. “That’s one of Traysi’s. She travels from stable to stable and town to town distributing her rumors. That girl rarely stays in the same place for more than a day.” He laughed, “She’s too curious for this world.”

_ This tidbit is about the brave soldiers who were tragically wiped out during the Great Calamity. The royal guards who protected the royal family! _

“What’s the Great Calamity?”

The smile on Ember’s face dropped in an instant, his blank stare bore into Time. 

“What?” Ember’s voice was a whisper. 

So, this was something everyone in this Hyrule should be aware of, noted. 

“Ah, we aren’t from around here!” Warriors jumped in with a laugh. “This is our first time in hyrule.” 

Ember frowned, “Where exactly did you come from?” 

“Across the ocean,” Time quickly answered. “We’re from a small island in the ocean.” 

Ember was silent, his eyes flicking between the map on the wall and the heroes at the table. 

“. . . My apologies, I’ve never met someone from outside of Hyrule before so your questions caught me off-guard.” Ember was hesitant, his frown lessened but still there. His form was also less relaxed, on guard in case they made a wrong move. 

Warriors forced a chuckle. “It’s fine. But this Great Calamity must be a pretty big deal around here, huh?” 

Ember nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “It’s a bit more than just a big deal. The Calamity happened a little over one hundred years ago. It wiped out everyone and everything in its path. And up until two years ago it was locked within the castle, growing in power so it could finish what it started.” 

Time frowned, rubbing a page between his fingers. “So it was a monster?” 

Ember sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yes and no. We call it the Calamity as a way of dehumanizing it, it was an event that happened. If we think of it as a monster or even a person, it becomes much harder to comprehend. 

“After all, what being could kill hundreds of thousands of innocents in just a few hours?” 

Time thought that was a rather gruesome way to look at things, but it made sense. He had done it himself as a kid, it’s much easier to distance yourself from fear and guilt when all you’re looking at is masks. 

“How was it contained for so long?” Warriors rested his chin on his hand, leaning forward onto the table. 

“It’s said that the princess sacrificed herself to keep it at bay until it could be destroyed.” 

Time closed the book, staring at the cover as he set it down. “How was it destroyed?” 

Ember snorted, “No one knows. One day the sky starts going crazy, a giant malice pig appears in Hyrule Field, and then poof, the Calamity’s gone.”

Giant malice pig? 

No, don’t question it, it’s not important. 

“What was the princess’s name?” Time pushed the book away from him and back into the center of the table. 

Ember once again hesitated. “. . . Zelda. It’s considered to be both a blessed and a cursed name by some. It’s the name of someone who failed to stop the death and destruction all those years ago, yet gave us the chance for life with her sacrifice.” 

Warriors whipped his head around to look at Time, clearly understanding where Time was taking the conversation. 

“Uh, back on our island we used to hear stories about a hero chosen by a magical sword in Hyrule. The hero was often depicted alongside a princess of Hyrule.” Warriors stumbled through his lie, and Time internally groaned. 

Legend needed to be awake, he was great at lying. Not a great trait to be known for, but it was useful in the right situations. 

“Are those stories true?” 

Ember sighed, “Yeah, they’re true alright. But I’m afraid you missed your chance to meet the guy. Seeing as he’s been dead for a hundred years.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter nearly didn't come out in time lol, I've been distracted by Digimon on the Switch and had to rush to edit this chapter. 
> 
> I'm also not super proud of this one, I'd say it's one of the more bland chapters and my voice just falls flat way too often throughout it. Maybe I'll go back and edit it in the future, but right now I need to publish it or I never will. 
> 
> Again, thank you so much for the kind comments on the last chapter! You all really encouraged me to get this chapter out in time. 
> 
> (I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but feedback is welcomed and appreciated. If you see a typo or inconsistency, don't hesitate to let me know!)


	4. Beedle's Guided Tour Through the Wasteland

“Well, this blows.”

Time smacked the back of Legend’s head, earning himself a muttered death wish from the shorter hero. 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he glanced between the other heroes. They were all some degree of awake, with Sky still struggling to keep his eyes open as he leaned against Warriors arm. Wind was perhaps the least exhausted of them all, eagerly rifling through one of their bags in search of rations. 

Hyrule frowned, tracing a small indent in the top of the small table. “If the hero is dead, then what are we doing here?” 

Warriors shrugged, “There has to be a reason, we just have to find it.” 

“If the size of their map is anything to go by, we’re going to be here for a long while,” Four huffed, adjusting his sling as he looked to the map on the wall. 

Ember had said it would take them weeks just to reach Zora’s domain, which didn’t bode well for the size of the land. On a map, it looked like Zora’s domain and Kakariko weren’t too far off, but if it took weeks to travel between them…

They would have to travel for months just to reach each village on the map.

Despite his name, Time simply didn’t have the time to make such a journey. 

“Have you tried reaching out to Fi yet?” Time asked, holding back a smile as Sky jumped awake. 

The groggy hero slowly blinked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one hand as he covered a yawn with the other. His brow scrunched, as if his brain was trying to process what Time had asked. Sky shook his head, pushing himself off the ground and away from Warriors. 

“I’ll be right back.” 

He gently grabbed the Master Sword from the wall it rested against, wrapped tightly in a spare sheet. Sky stifled a yawn as he stumbled out of the stable, Master Sword limply held in his hand. 

“I’ll go sit with him and make sure he doesn’t fall asleep again,” Hyrule lightly chuckled, stretching his back as he stood. His ear was no longer bandaged, replaced instead by the soft, pink skin of a fresh scar. 

An empty bottle gently rolled on the table as Hyrule bumped against it, the remains of a sparkling pink liquid lazily trailing down the inside of the glass. Small glass fairy wings stopped the bottle from rolling any further. 

The fairy tonics had done wonders at healing the damaged heroes up, leaving only Four still with a broken arm. It had only taken one tonic to completely stitch everyone back together, compared to the three or four red potions it would’ve taken. 

Yet ironically, the tonics had managed to taste even worse than the putrid potions they were used to. Well, it was better than hobbling around in a new Hyrule half crippled. 

As Hyrule’s bed head disappeared from the stable Legend grumbled, rubbing the back of his head as he glared at Time. “If their Link is dead what good will the sword be?” 

“Either we get an answer, or we don’t,” Wind shrugged. “If she answers, we know where to go. If not, we get to go on an adventure.”

Time would rather not go on an ‘adventure’ in a foreign land, but if it couldn't be avoided . . .

He raised his hand to brush a strand of hair behind his ear before he paused, catching a glimpse of the man with the large backpack slowly creeping towards their table. The man seemed to notice Time’s eyes on him because he froze, visibly gulping as he stood a few feet from the table. 

“Sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear you say that Link is dead?” The man’s voice was high pitched, squealy even. His bag had been dropped to the floor with a thud, shaking the floorboards slightly. 

Huh, the man was a lot stronger than he looked. 

“And you are?” 

Time barely had a chance to blink as Four smacked Legend in his stead. 

“I think what he means to say is that we don’t believe we’ve met yet.” Four held out his hand with a smile, ignoring the mutterings of Legend. “My name’s Four, and these are my brothers.” He gestured to the others with a nod of his head. 

The man grinned, grabbing Four’s hand in both of his and shaking it. Not furiously enough to upset his broken arm, but enough to jostle all of Four’s body. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all! My name’s Beedle.” 

Time heard Wind inhale suddenly from beside him, quickly doubling over in a coughing-fit. 

Reaching over, Time placed a hand on Wind’s back, awkwardly patting it as if that would make the coughing stop. 

Wait no— that was a baby thing. 

He pulled his hand away from Wind as if he had been burned. Wind’s breathing slowly regulated itself, his watering eyes met Time’s as he shot the eldest hero a thumbs up. 

“Just choking on air over here, don’t mind me.”

Beedle laughed, squatting down to sit on the floor and look up at the heroes actually sitting at the table. ”So, why would you think that Link’s dead?” 

Time nearly snorted, perhaps it was because they had been told he was dead just—

Wait. 

“Well Ember told us that—” 

Time cut Wind off with a cough. “We had heard rumors that he’d been done in, but we aren’t sure if they’re true.” 

He could practically feel the confusion emanating from the others. 

Beedle laughed, “Of course my favorite customer isn’t dead! I just saw him two days ago. He gave me a beautiful beetle in exchange for a handful of arrows I found on the side of the road.” 

Ember had never said Link died one hundred years ago. Just that the ‘Hero’ had. 

Judging from the expressions around the table, a few of the others were catching on. 

“Do you know where he went off to?” Warriors asked, nudging Wind to keep quiet as the youngest opened his mouth to speak. 

Beedle’s smile fell slightly, the furrow of his brow barely visible before his face returned to its smile. “Why do you need to know where he went?” 

“We think we may be related, so we want to see if it’s true,” Four slowly stated. He was frowning, glancing between Time and Beedle. 

“You do look like him!” 

The hero’s heads all snapped towards the voice. Gotter visibly flinched back before relaxing. He held up his hands in an apologizing manner, ducking his head slightly. 

Parcy snorted, stepping into the stable with a baby goat trailing behind her. “I’m surprised it took you this long to realize, Gott. You’re practically enamored with the guy, I figured you would’ve seen the similarities first.” 

Gotter huffed, cheeks flaring red. “I am not enamored with him, and last night was too eventful for me to analyze facial features!” 

“Uh huh. Don’t lie to yourself, you’re in love with a pyro.” 

Pyro? 

“Sh-shut up, Parcy! You were giving him the eyes the entire time he was showing you the weapons he got at the castle!” 

“I was eyeing the weapons, you know I’m not a fan of men. Or anyone for that matter.” 

“What, do you want to make love to a sw—”

“OKAY!” Ember’s voice shouted from behind the counter as Wind held back a snicker. “Break it up you two, there are children present.” 

Ember rubbed the bridge of his nose, and Time couldn’t help but feel for the poor guy. It seemed like the two of them had more in common than Time initially realized. 

“If you’re looking for the kid, you’re not going to have any sort of luck. He’s a force of nature, that one,” Ember huffed, resting his chin in his hands. 

A pyromaniac force of nature, seemed like he’d fit right in with the others. 

Four tilted his head with a frown. “What do you mean by force of nature?” 

Ember groaned, sliding his head down into his hands so his eyes were covered. “He’s like a myth to all of Hyrule at this point. He’s done so many unbelievable things that we don’t even know which stories are real or not anymore.” 

Wind grinned, a glint in his eyes that made Time shiver. “What kinds of things?” 

Time definitely wasn’t letting Wind anywhere near this world’s Link without supervision. 

“He tried to register a bear as a mount a while back. He argued that he’d already named the damn thing, so they had a bond.” Ember exasperated, yet Time could hear a faint amusement in his voice. 

Gotter nodded. “Her name was Miss Honey, and she tried eating him the second he hopped off her.” 

It would seem that ‘force of nature’ was a bit of an understatement. 

“And what does he do?” Four frowned, shaking his head as if to correct himself. “I mean, what’s he known as? You guys are obviously stable hands, and Beedle's a merchant. What does that make him?” 

“A wanderer,” Gotter chuckled. “He’s a traveler who has no real destination.” 

“Maybe he has some goal that we’re unaware of, but if he does it’s certainly not one he’s scrambling to achieve.” Ember hummed, flipping open a large book so that the leather cover thumped against the counter. 

“What’s with the book?” Legend instinctively flinched downwards. 

“It’s a record of all the stables and their occupant history. We record and share who checked in where, which horses are boarded at which stables, things like that.” Ember ran his hand along the edges of the pages with a sigh. “The stables all keep in touch through travelers moving from one place to the next who don’t mind acting as honorary postmen.” 

“So you’ve established your own communication system?” Warriors nodded to himself. “That’s pretty impressive for a stable system.” 

Ember snorted, “We’ve all got to work together if we want to survive in this wasteland, even the individual stables.” He tapped his finger on one of the pages, pointing to writing only seen by him. “Link spends a lot of time near Dueling Peak Stable, it’s where most of his horses are kept for that matter. I’d suggest making your way there if you’re dead set on finding him.”

It wasn’t concrete, but at least they had a destination. 

Time stood with a wince, placing a hand on his cracking and popping back. Sleeping in that chair last night certainly wasn’t the best idea. Stools scraped and groaned as the others followed suit, Wind practically flying out the door to get Sky and Hyrule. 

“So, it looks like we’re heading towards another stable.” Time slung his bag over his shoulder, adjusting his glove as he did so. “Do you happen to have a map we could borrow?” 

Beedle jumped off the ground, rustling through his bag with an energy Time hadn’t expected. A few seconds later a worn map sat in Time’s hands, an eager looking Beedle just on the other side of the paper. 

“I can guide you!” Beedle’s voice came out in a shrill squeal and Time had to resist the urge to wince. “I was planning on heading that way in the next few days, but I don’t mind going early. It’s better to travel in larger groups anyway, lowers your risk of being attacked.” 

So he wanted bodyguards in exchange for directions. How convenient. 

Time smiled, folding the map and tucking it into his bag. “That sounds like a great idea.” 

* * *

“This was a terrible idea,” Warriors whispered, eyeing the merchant ahead of them. 

Time couldn’t help but agree as Beedle continued to loudly ramble on about different species of beetles from the front of the group. Poor Hyrule and Four had been roped into actually listening to his tangent, adding in a nod or remark every so often to assure him that they were paying attention. 

“Well, he hasn’t gotten us lost yet.” Time glanced around at the plains surrounding them, rocks and wild plants lined the road. Although it wasn’t a real, paved road, the countless steps along the path had carved a small indent into the very earth. The scenery around them had stayed consistent since they left the stable, only changing when a small forest came into view and then quickly left nearly two hours prior. 

“At least, I assume so.”

Warriors sighed, following Time’s gaze to a large boulder on their right. “This place feels empty, doesn’t it?” 

Empty in the sense of people and towns? Yes. Empty in the sense of rocks and mushrooms? No.

“Well, I think we have the Calamity to thank for that. They said it destroyed everything and everyone it touched, so it doesn’t surprise me that this place feels so . . . barren.”

Warriors ran a hand through his hair, frowning as he looked to the sky. “What do you think the Calamity was anyway? An infection of sorts?”

Time snorted, gesturing to the land around them. “I don’t think an infection could leave a land in this much disarray.” 

“Well what could it have been then? It doesn’t sound like anything any of us have encountered before.” 

“We can always ask this land’s Link when we find him.”

If they found him went unsaid. 

“I’m confused about that,” Warriors locked his gaze to the front of the group, and Time followed it. Beedle was flailing his arms around with a smile, the squeak of his voice masking his words as it hit Time’s ears. 

Hyrule and Four looked very uncomfortable. 

“So the hero who died during the Calamity, was he not the hero chosen by the sword? Or was he the hero, and this current Link is just some nobody who happens to share the hero’s name?” 

Time wouldn’t call the bear rider a ‘nobody.’ 

“Well, with Hylia’s love for reincarnation they could both be the true hero.” 

Warriors shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s the case. It’s too soon for another reincarnation.” 

“She could’ve been desperate, looking around us right now I don’t think that this Hyrule could’ve lasted much longer under the Calamity’s hold.” 

“. . . Maybe.” 

A pair of sparrows darted out in front of them, dashing and twirling around each other before gracefully landing on a small rock outcropping ahead of the group. A small and broken path snaked out from behind the birds, twisting around before hiding behind a small mound. 

What caught Time’s attention the most was the fact that it was actually made of stone. 

Time cleared his throat loud enough for Beedle’s rambling to stop, his head craning around to look at Time. “The road to our left isn’t on the map, where’s it lead?” 

Beedle frowned, stopping to look between the small path and Time. “Why do you want to know?” 

Time gestured to the path. “It’s made of stone.”

Beedle chuckled, turning back around so his beetle shaped backpack faced Time. “Well yeah, so is the path up ahead. These roads are part of some old military post ruins, that was most likely a sidewalk of some sort.” 

Warriors nudged Time’s shoulder, grabbing the map and tilting it so it faced him. He pointed to their location, or as close as he could guess, tracing a small line from them to the bridge. 

Cutting straight through where the small path laid. 

“Wouldn’t the path on the left be quicker?” 

Beedle stopped once again, the straps and buckles on his bag swinging up and down as he turned to look at them. “I—I suppose. But that path cuts right through some well known moblin camps, and if we stick to the normal path we can usually avoid—” 

“I vote for the shorter path!” Four cut Beedle off, looking at Time with a plea in his eyes. 

The quicker they got to their destination, the quicker Beedle would stop talking his ear off. 

Sky raised his hand slightly. “I second that vote, I don’t want to be out on the road when night hits.” 

“THIRD!” Wind jumped onto the small rock, frightening the sparrows into dashing away into the ruins. 

A chorus of agreement rippled through the group, and Time tried not to chuckle as Beedle’s face grew paler. But before he could voice his disapproval, Wind had already grabbed onto Legend’s hand and dragged him down the path. Hyrule was following closely behind. 

Time smiled, catching up to the frozen Beedle and nudging him. “Don’t worry about it, if we do encounter any moblins we’ll be able to handle them. You’ll be safe, I can promise you that.” 

Beedle groaned, not meeting Time’s eyes. “That’s what Link said before he dropped a beehive on my head.”

“What?”

“Nothing!”

* * *

Time felt the world screech to a halt as he attempted to take in the destruction around him. He’d known this Hyrule was in shambles . . . 

But goddesses, he hadn’t expected anything like this. 

Chipped and weathered bricks sat in vague building shapes, working to hold up rotting wooden beams and shattered remains of glass. He took a step forward, immediately looking down to find a rotting, mold infested rug beneath his boot. 

Rusted weapons stuck out of the ground like gravestones, marking the place of one’s death. A few had flowers growing from beneath them, snaking up the blades and—

Time’s stomach dropped as he realized they actually were graves. 

If he closed his eyes, he could envision a lively military town. A small bakery sat to his left, a joyful woman handed a young girl a loaf of bread as she fumbled for her small coin pouch. Laughter echoed through the small streets and a band of soldiers headed to work. The bricks beneath their feet reminded him of the roads of Castle Town, worn by the countless feet treading across them. 

The possibilities of what this town could’ve been like almost made the stench of death even worse. 

A faint glint caught his eye and he bent down to investigate. The loved bricks of the town were gone, replaced by shattered and blood soaked rocks and glass. His fingers dug into the soft, mud-like dirt as he pulled an arrow from where it sat. It looked new, not a hint of rust on the head or rotting of the wood. 

“Oh thank the goddess,” Beedle breathed, throwing his hands up in a quick prayer as he looked to the sky. 

Now that Time thought about it . . . where were the aforementioned moblins? 

There was nothing there, no signs of a struggle or remains of a fight. They were standing in an empty ruin with only the deserted remains of monster camps, all scattered and ransacked. 

Hyrule’s head poked out from behind a shattered window, cobwebs and dust already glued to his face and hair. “I thought you said there were monsters in these ruins, where are they?” 

Beedle grinned, letting his hands drop to his sides. “Dead!” 

Warriors kicked one of the stray bricks and Time held back a laugh as it shattered under his foot, sending him stumbling forward. “It doesn’t seem like there was much of a fight here, are you sure they didn’t just move somewhere else?” 

Beedle turned to him with a frown. “Why would they move from here? This is an area of high traffic.” 

Time didn’t want to think about what that implied. 

“Who killed them, then?” Time asked.

Beedle shrugged, turning to face an unnatural blue glow in the distance. “An adventurer I presume, they tend to clear the road for travelers and merchants like myself when they pass through. It’s their way of keeping the roads safe, at least until the monsters come back.” 

Time nodded, absently twirling the arrow between his thumb and index finger. It would fly, but not very well. The arrow head was chipped, with a thin layer of blood caked onto the metallic surface. 

A thin layer of black blood. 

He felt someone lean over his shoulder and a hand reached out to touch the arrow, brushing the matted and frayed fletching. 

“They’re infected here too,” Sky muttered. Time turned to the hero and was met with a scowl, Sky’s eyes darted between the arrow and the sword on his back. 

“Did she say anything earlier?” 

Sky shook his head with a sigh. “She tried to contact the sword of this era, but all she got was static.” 

“Could it be out of range?” This Hyrule was much bigger than any of theirs, it would make sense if that was the case. 

“I doubt it. Even if it was, Fi should be able to sense it. But there’s— What the . . .” 

Sky pushed off from Time’s shoulder, quickly bending down next to a large pile of rubble. Time lowered himself onto the ground next to Sky, watching the younger hero in confusion as he dug through the bricks and wood. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Sky shook his head, continuing to scour the ruins. “Ironically enough, Fi found something.” 

Well, that was awfully convenient. 

“What’d she find?”

“The remains of the fight.” 

Oh. 

Time chuckled darkly, feeling a pit in his stomach grow. “In the rubble?” 

Time’s laugh stopped the second Sky pulled a dripping scabbard from the bricks. 

Without a second thought, Time tossed the arrow to the side, pulling back the rubble to expose more—

Oh goddess, that was a lot of blood. 

A large stash of weapons sat hidden under the dust and rocks, soaked in a mixture of black and red blood. A snapped bow sat strapped under a splintered wooden shield. A club poked out from under a pile of glass, the handle nearly a foot away. Countless swords, all split or chipped in some way, dripped with black. 

The dirt beneath the weapons was drenched, the only colors besides red and black belonging to the bundles of flowers tucked around the fight remains. Little ribbons, all tied into perfect bows, kept all the flowers bundled together, a beautiful arrangement of colors ruined by the horror they masked. 

“Someone was trying to hide these.” Time reached for the hilt of one of the swords, his nose scrunching as blood smeared across his palm. “It’s fairly recent, too.” 

“I don’t think this is all monster blood, either.” Sky held a fractured shield in his hands, turning it to show Time the bloodied strap. Red smeared across the metallic interior in such a way that it had to have come from whoever was wearing it. “Whoever hid these was hurt, and pretty badly I’d say.” 

“Why would they hide all this, though?” 

“So the monsters don’t find it of course.” 

Time tensed as he whipped his head around. Beedle jumped back, before relaxing and placing a hand on each of their shoulders. His face leaned down between them, and Time could see that he was biting his lip. 

Sky frowned. “What would monsters do with broken weapons?” Sky gently pushed Beedle’s hand off his shoulder, straightening his back to look the merchant in the eyes. 

“Use them on travelers,” Beedle said with a shrug. 

Time shoved Beedle’s hand off him as well, albeit a bit more forcefully than Sky had. “Don’t they have their own weapons? There’s quite a few clubs and crude shields in here. Why don’t they just use those? They’d be more effective than shattered swords.”

“Because no matter how broken something is, if you throw it hard enough you’re bound to draw blood.”

“That’s a little . . . morbid don’t you think?” Sky laughed, his nervousness visible in both his voice and the twitch of his fingers.

Beedle shrugged, “I guess. But monsters don’t really care about morals.”

This Hyrule really was worse off than Time initially realized. 

“And what’s with the flowers?” Time gently grabbed a bundle of small purple flowers from under a sword, brushing against the pale yellow ribbon holding them all together. 

“To mask the blood. Monster blood is a pain to wash off, especially since it started turning black. So it’s just easier to mask the smell than spend hours scrubbing useless weapons.”

Time supposed that made sense, and obviously it had worked enough for the heroes to walk right on by. If Twilight was with them, it might be a different story. 

“And how long has it been doing that?” Time tucked the flowers underneath a splintered club. “Turning black, I mean.”

Beedle hummed, “I’d say a few months now? And not all monsters have it either, just the really aggressive ones.”

Well, at least there was one consistency between this world and the others. Infected monsters suck. 

Time set the flowers back down and stood with a huff, brushing his hands against his pants as he absently kicked the rubble back onto the weapons stash. If it was hidden for a reason, no use in revealing it. 

A cry of outage turned Time’s attention to the others. He bit his lip in an attempt to hold back a laugh as Wind stood triumphantly over Warriors, who was lying face first in a pool of grimy water. Sky snorted, standing up and adjusting the junk pile so it looked as if they had never been there. 

Wind yelped as he was pulled down into the water as well. 

“We should probably get going before they start a water fight.” 

Time couldn’t help but agree. 

* * *

The bridge was definitely the most put together thing Time had seen since the stable. It was most likely due to the fact that it was near fully intact and usable, unlike everything else he had seen thus far. Braziers lined the walls of the bridge, a small torch sitting next to the one closest to Time. The walls of the bridge crumbled, a few stray pebbles bouncing off the bridge and into the rapids below as they walked by. 

A man no taller than Sky stood near the center of the bridge. His elbows rested against the wall as he watched the water below, a worn spear leaned beside him. He turned his head towards them, grinning when he saw Beedle. 

“Well look who it is, I wasn’t expecting to see you for at least another week!” 

Beedle laughed, “I wasn’t planning on coming through so early, but I had a change of schedule.” 

The men turned to fully face them, leaning his right arm against the wall of the bridge. “I see you got yourself some muscle, a good thing too! I hate thinking of anyone traveling these roads alone.” 

“Actually, I’m just guiding them to Dueling Peak. I happened to be going the same way so it all worked out.” 

The man squinted, his eyes running across each of the heroes before landing back on Beedle. “That’s a lot of new faces, what’re they looking to get out of going to Dueling Peak?” 

Time cut in as Beedle opened his mouth to speak for them. “We’re looking for a man named Link and we were told he frequents Dueling Peak Stable. Have you seen him pass by recently?” 

The man snorted, “Yeah, the kid came stumbling across the bridge near sunrise. He woke me right up with how heavy he was breathing and all that.” Brigo nodded his head towards the ruins. “Wiped out all the monsters in the ruins without even waking me. I offer to fix him up, but you know how he is. Kid just shook his head and kept on walking.” 

So he was stubborn, Time could handle stubborn. 

“Do you know where he was heading?” Beedle asked. 

The man snorted, “You know I never do. He could be halfway to Hebra as we speak.” He grinned, grabbing his spear and pointing it towards the sun. It was beginning to dip lower and lower into the sky, in just a few hours it would be night. “Well, I won’t hold you up any longer. If you hurry you should be able to make it to the stable before the sun sets.” 

Sky smiled stepping forward to shake the man’s hand. “It was nice meeting you—” 

The man snorted, shaking his hand back with an amused smile. “Brigo. And likewise.” 

Legend kicked a rock as he marched on ahead, urging the others to follow suit. Time nodded as he passed Brigo, who waved as they all passed. Beedle rushed forward to Legend’s side, immediately beginning some tangent about the best methods for catching crickets.

The bridge steps gave way to a dirt path, and Time felt his stomach drop. 

There, just to the left of the road, was a stone. It sat half buried in the ground, covered in moss and dirt. Beedle passed by it without a second glance, as did the others. 

It was nothing, just a rock. 

But the moment Time saw a small, eye shaped indent staring at him blankly, he couldn’t help but feel . . . 

Disturbed. 

* * *

“And here we are!” 

A nearly identical stable to the last stood in front of them, the main difference being the dog prancing around their legs. 

As the sun finally hid behind the mountains, the last of the stable hands retreated inside, leaving the heroes, Beedle, a man staring at the sky, and one happy dog alone. 

“It looks exactly the same as the last one,” Legend muttered, eyeing the cuccos strutting around a small fire. 

Beedle laughed, “All the stables look like this, they’re made to be recognizable. It lets people know that they’re safe here.” 

Time really hoped that living in constant fear wasn’t the norm of this world. Yet with each new interaction that really seemed to be the case. But he had to admit, these people were much more resilient than the people of his world. 

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Beedle marched past the heroes, pulling some long and cylindrical from his bag and making his way towards the far end of the stable. “I have some business to attend to.” 

Wind muttered something about a telescope as Beedle began conversing with the man who had been staring at the sky. Time sighed, swinging his bag off his bag and reaching in to pull a bag of rupees out. 

He dangled the pouch by its drawstrings, turning towards the others. “I’m going to get us some beds, why don’t you all see if you can find something to eat around here.”

At the mention of food, everyone perked up, wordlessly splitting off to search for their dinner. Time couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head slowly in amusement as he made his way to the front counter of the stable. 

Two identical men waved as they noticed his approach, smiling with a fondness usually reserved for close friends. 

“Welcome! Welcome to our fine stable!” The one behind the counter spoke first, leaning forward so his head stuck out from the window. “I don’t think I’ve seen your face around here before, you must be new!”

The one to Time’s right laughed heartily, “Why of course he’s new! We would remember if we’d ever seen a group of seven people traveling together before.”

Time met their smiles with a nod. “Yes, me and my companions are new to this area, and we were hoping we could rent a few beds for the night.” 

The one behind the counter spoke, “Certainly! We only have two beds open at the moment, but we can lend you as many spare sheets and pillows as you need.” 

The other one chuckled, “Or at least as many as we have.” 

Not ideal, but better than sleeping in a forest. 

“Excellent, how much?” 

The one behind the counter tapped his fingers against the wood, his lips silently moving as if he was working out a complex equation in his head. Or at the very least, figuring out how much he could get away with overcharging Time. 

“One hundred, that’ll cover the two beds and any extra bedding you’ll need.” 

As much as Time wanted to bring up that it had only cost them sixty at the other stable for two beds and spare sheets, but he couldn’t muster enough energy to. He silently nodded, fishing the appropriate rupees from the pouch and setting them on the counter. 

He swore the two men’s smiles grow wider with each clink of the gemstones against the counter. 

“And what name will we be putting these beds under?” The counter one asked.

“Time.”

“No last name?” The second raised an eyebrow.

“Not one that I can remember,” Time answered shortly. 

The counter one smiled. Goddess, these two smiled too much for Time’s liking. 

“That’s fair enough! Well my name is Tasseren and my brother here is Rensa. We run this here establishment and are always here if you have any questions.” 

Time raised his eyebrows. “Oh, no last name?” 

They looked at him in shock, before snorting. Tasseren replaced his fake, too large smile for a more natural one. 

“Oh, I like you. You’ve got a sense of humor.” 

Honestly, he was just tired. 

Rensa adjusted his hat as he leaned back against a pole. “If you’re heading somewhere Mr. Time Nolastname, I can point you to wherever it is you’re going.” 

Well at least something good would come out of this exchange. 

“In that case, would you happen to know where we could find someone named Link?” 

Tasseren snapped his fingers, leaning closer to Time. Too close. “THAT’S who you remind me of! I thought you looked familiar but I just couldn’t place it.” 

Rensa’s eyes widened. “You know, now that you mention it, you’re right. Are you guys brothers or something?” 

“Something like that.”

Tasseren leaned away from Time—thank the goddesses—and shoved the rupees into a large pouch. “I hear he owns a house in Hateno Village. I’m not sure how often he goes there, but your chances of bumping into him there are probably better compared to anywhere else.” 

Rense pointing towards the road behind Time. “The village is half a day's walk away. If you take the road headed north and follow it to the fork, just follow the signs from there and you’ll arrive there before nightfall tomorrow.”

Time nodded, stepping back from the counter and turning towards the entrance. “Thank you, you don’t know how much this helps.”

Rensa waved his hand, “Don’t even worry about it, who are we to stop a family reunion?” 

With one last nod of his head, Time entered the small stable, now armed with directions and a notably lighter rupee bag. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack- I'm sorry this one is a bit late! I've been really distracted by video games and drawing, so I procrastinated on editing until yesterday and all of today lol. It's a little rushed, so please don't hesitate to point out any errors in this chapter (spelling, grammar, and content wise). 
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for the lovely comments on the last chapter! I know this sounds very cheesy, but when my motivation for editing takes a hit I like to read some of your comments to put me back into an editing mood. <3 
> 
> (We're closing in on one of my favorite chapters, which includes my favorite scene! Soon!)


	5. Hateno and its Gatekeeper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for the delay in this chapter, for some reason it was a huge pain to edit in comparison to the other ones. Hopefully it's not a taste of what's to come with future chapter editing, but I'll try a bit harder to get the next one out in time. 
> 
> Thank you for your patience :)

This had not been the first Time wished for Beedle to hurry things up, but he prayed it would be the last. 

“Are you sure you don’t need anything?”

Time rubbed the bridge of his nose, groaning at the thought of how much daylight they had already lost. Waking all the heroes up had been a slow process, and the non-stop sales pitches from Beedle had already done wonders in delaying their journey. 

At this rate, they’d be lucky if they arrived at Hateno before nightfall. 

“We will be fine, Beedle,” Time sighed. “It’s not a long journey, and we already have all the supplies we need.” 

And Time highly doubted a beetle, frog, and single arrow would help them much anyways. 

“But I can cut you a deal—” 

“Ah, we’re actually out of rupees.” Warriors cut the merchant off, winking to Time as he wrapped an arm around Beedle’s shoulders. “But I’m sure we’ll be fine as is.” 

Beedle fidgeted, looking between Time and Warriors with a frown. “Are you sure?” 

Goddesses yes, Time had been sure for nearly two hours. 

Time nodded. “We’ll make sure to visit sometime, but if we want to make it to Hateno before tomorrow we need to leave now.” 

Beedle hesitated before he slowly nodded. “Alright, but you’re buying something next time.” 

“Of course!” Warriors laughed, letting go of Beedle as he gave Time a look. 

Yeah, they weren’t going to buy anything ‘next time.’ 

Beedle’s pack swung around with a sigh, his head craning over his shoulder to shoot them one last grin. “Safe travels, and don’t die!” 

“And to you as well,” Time called over his shoulder, all but sprinting towards where the majority of the group stood ahead. 

Four laughed as Time and Warriors practically skidded to a stop next to him. “You break down and buy something?” 

Warriors grabbed onto Wind’s shoulders, pushing him forward and down the road. “No, but we need to get going before he decides to bug us again.” 

Time doubted he would, seeing as Beedle was sitting next to one of the kids and chatting animatedly, but the idea of the merchant further stalling their journey added a needed haste to the group’s step. 

The journey was silent, only broken by idle small talk and a passing traveler insisting on saying hello. Time kept his eyes on the road, not sparing a glance at the map until they had reached the small fork in the road. Just as Rense had said, a small sign sat in the center of the road, directing the heroes away from the crumbling bridge and towards a snaking dirt road. 

It was too . . . quiet, almost suffocatingly so. Despite the large, open fields surrounding him, Time couldn’t help but feel trapped, claustrophobic in a strange way. 

Forty minutes later, he found out why. 

Time felt a fear dig itself into the pit in his stomach, dragging itself up his throat and clogging his lungs. It hurt to breathe, to breathe in the air that tasted so strongly of death and ash. 

The graveyard of stones surrounding Time reeked of it. 

He stared blankly at the pure destruction encased in the small field as many of the others filed into the ruins. It was a land filled to the brim with duplicates of the same strange stone he had seen at the bridge. Dirt and moss coated the scuffed and dulled exteriors of the stones, as if the very earth itself was trying to swallow them whole. A small tree snaked around one just to the left of the road, branches spilling from the cracks and holes in the stone. 

Wind wasted no time jumping on top of one. 

Time’s heart lurched as the stone beneath Wind groaned, sinking backwards as Wind’s weight sent it teetering sideways. Wind simply laughed, tracing his hand along the deep gashes surrounding the strange, eye-like indent. 

Time could almost envision the ground below it erupting, the eye trained on Wind’s head as it rose from the ground. 

“What are these things?” 

Time shook the idea from his head, forcing a soft smile as he stood next to Wind and the stone he sat on. “I’m not sure, I’ve never seen anything like them.” 

Wind hummed, sliding off the curved top and hitting the ground with an oomph. He bent, dragging something rusted and cracked from under a large stone next to the strange statue. Wind twirled the large object in his hands and Time held back a wince at the dirt smearing itself against Wind’s palms. 

“They kinda remind me of trains.” 

Time had only ridden a train once, but that was enough for him. It was too loud, too fast for his liking. And nearly dying after the train flipped off its tracks certainly added to the overall dislike of the experience.

The thought of those mechanical contraptions existing in more than one Hyrule gave him more grief than it should’ve. 

“But I don’t see the need for a train to have legs, so they’re probably not related.” 

Oh sweet Hylia. 

Time took a small step back, looking beneath his feet at the long, tube-like stones sprawling out and around the base of the statue. 

Yep, those were legs. Long, disturbing spider legs at that. 

If there was one thing Time hated more than the moon, it was spiders. They had a penchant for destroying plant life it would seem, as the end of one of the legs was embedded into a rotting tree. 

“And we haven’t seen any tracks around here,” Time added. 

Wind nodded, flipping the gear over in his hands once more before carelessly tossing it aside. A loud crack rippled through the air as the gear exploded against the ground. “Bet I could get one of these things up and running again.” 

“I— I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Time choked out, looking to the ground to avoid Wind’s confused expression. 

“Why not? It wouldn’t be too hard, I’m sure I could find all the parts in this area.” 

“Well, they’re all powered down for a reason, don’t you think?” 

Wind hummed, slowly nodded before darting off to another mechanical spider corpse. The legs of the beast jutted out of the ground, frozen in an action unlike the one before. The long, spindly legs seemed to claw at the air itself, a desperate attempt to free itself from the ground. 

Time half expected it to start walking away at any moment, simply resting and awaiting the moment it was needed. 

Wind kicked one of its legs, yet the joints seemed rusted into place as the leg refused to budge. “I wonder how they all got here . . .” 

“The Calamity, of course.” 

Wind and Time jumped back, the tips of their swords pressed against the nose of their assailant. The man visible gulped, raising his hands in an act of forfeit. 

“Woah, easy there! I mean no harm.” 

Wind barked out a laugh, but he lowered his weapon regardless. “Could’ve fooled me.” 

The man relaxed as Time sheathed his sword, but paled at the glares shooting through his soul. “Truly, I’m sorry for startling you like that! My name’s Garill,” The man, Garill, held out a hand towards the two heroes. If he was scared or nervous, his steady palm did nothing to betray that. 

He composed himself awfully quickly . . .

Against his better judgement, Time took his hand with a sigh. “Time, and this is Wind.” He nodded his head towards the youngest hero, who simply nodded. 

“Interesting names.” 

“So is Garill,” Wind bit back. 

Garill shrugged, leaning against the strange statue with a smile. “That’s fair.”

Time suspected this wouldn’t be the last time someone would mention something about their names. Honestly, their nicknames were proving to be more hassle than they originally intended. 

Hold on—

“What was that about the Calamity?” 

Garill seemed surprised by Time’s question, but he cleared his expression with a sad smile. “I often forget that the tragedy of Fort Hateno isn’t taught still,” He sighed, looking over the desolate field with a somber look in his eye. “It’s a shame, really. I feel that everyone should be aware of the past so we can honor those who died so we may live.” 

The way Garill spoke almost reminded Time of a certain war . . .

“We’ve got time to listen,” Wind said, plopping down onto the dirt with a grin. “I love a good story, afterall.” 

Garill’s eyes lit up in an instant, a wide grin spreading across his features. “It’s a bit of a long story I hope you know.” 

Time sighed, “Well let’s get started then, shall we?” 

Garill chuckled, leaning more of his weight against the spider machine. “Fort Hateno was the last line of defense between the people of Hateno and the Calamity. It’s where we stand now, an ancient battle field oft forgotten.” 

Time traced a swirling indent poking up through the ground. “And what exactly are these things?” 

“Guardians. They were constructed some ten thousand years ago to combat Ganon, and they were resurfaced one hundred years ago to complete their purpose once more.”

. . . Ganon? 

Garill sighed, his grin sinking into a frown. “Sadly, the beast learned from the past. All the Guardians were corrupted and turned against those they had been programed to protect.” He barked out a laugh, “Seems ironic that the ‘Guardians’ were the ones we needed to protect ourselves from.” 

“. . . But they’re all dead now, right?” Wind frowned, scooting away from the mechanical beast. 

Garill shook his head. “Afraid not, there’s still a swarm of active ones skittering across Hyrule as we speak. They mainly stick to Hyrule Field, but it’s not impossible for one to find its way here.” 

If Time hadn’t felt uneasy before, he did now. Goddess, they really were in a graveyard. 

“What happened to make them all stop?” Time nodded his head towards the towering wall in the distance. 

There was a frantic dogpile of Guardians stacked against the crumbling stone, legs pushing against other Guardians and digging into the wall. The wooden supports keeping the Fort together were visible, even from a distance, littered with stones and sticks that had been haphazardly stuck together and deemed ‘repairs.’ Even a detached leg helped hold up a section of the stone. 

Garill chuckled, bringing a soft smile back to his lips. “That’d be the princess and the warrior’s doing. They were said to be a force to be reckoned with, those two.” 

“And what happened to them?” Wind’s voice was barely above a whisper. He leaned forward, entrigue clear on his face. 

“Well, they died.” Garill laughed, “Of course, they didn’t go down without a fight. It’s said that the warrior felled dozens of guardians, and when he allegedly met his end, the princess finished the rest off with a single snap—” he snapped his fingers together for emphasis. 

Time frowned. “Allegedly?” 

At that, Garill blushed. “Ah, well not everyone believes that the warrior truly died. Some say that he was put into a really long sleep to prepare for his next fight. And those people also think that he woke up, and he was the one to defeat the Calamity a while back.” 

“It’s what you believe, isn’t it?” Wind questioned, head tilted ever-so-slightly to the side. 

“They’re just children’s stories.” Garill sighed, tilting his head back down to look at the hero on the ground. “But, if the guy is still alive, I’d love to meet him.” 

Time pushed himself off the ground, dusting off as he stretched. “This warrior, would that happen to be the hero?” 

“Well, yes. But I haven’t heard anyone call him a hero in a long time.” 

* * *

“What do you think he meant by deep sleep?” 

Time sighed, sparing a glance to the ruins behind them. Already, the suffocating air had lessened, the breeze no longer carrying the reek of death. “I don’t know.” 

Wind huffed, hitting Time’s arm with enough force to garner a small grunt from the eldest hero. “But didn’t something similar happen to you? You said you had been put to sleep until you were old enough to wield the sword.” 

“Yes, but I doubt the hero would still be alive and kicking if he was over one hundred years old.” 

“Doesn’t ‘Rule have experience with something like this too?” Legend added, falling into step just behind Time. 

Hyrule hummed, running a hand through his hair as he watched the dense forest surrounding them. “It’s true that one of my Zeldas was asleep for a long time, but that was a curse. I wouldn’t see a need to put the dead to sleep.” 

“But what if he didn’t die, just came close to dying?” Warriors grumbled, ducking under an overhanging branch. 

Hyrule shook his head. “Even then, I doubt he was cursed. Zelda had to be attended to nonstop to prevent her from fading away. If he was severely injured, he wouldn’t have woken back up unless he was under constant care.”

“You don’t think they’d take care of him until he awoken?” Wind craned his head back to look at Hyrule. 

“With the state of this Hyrule, I think it was everyone for themselves. The only reason Zelda had the attention she needed was because she was royalty.” 

Time winced. “Bit of a morbid thought . . .” 

Hyrule shrugged. 

As time went on, the questions and theories of the heroes droned on as a constant murmur. Dense forest turned into steep cliffs, with an occasional traveler crossing their path, assuring the heroes that they were indeed heading in the right direction. 

Time couldn’t help but wonder what would await them in Hateno. 

Besides the obvious continuity issues in the stories surrounding the new hero, Time knew next to nothing about him. Sure, from stories he seemed like a good natured—if chaotic—hero through and through. But that’s exactly what they were, stories. 

Would they arrive to be ushered off immediately? If the hero didn’t agree to helping them, there wasn’t much they could do in the way of forcing him to. Or would he fit right in, fill the small hole in their family. 

. . . At least until Twilight and Wild returned, that is.

The sun had just begun to set behind the mountains as the dense shrubbery parted, a tall arch standing tall against the quickly fading pinks and oranges of the sky. A few stars dotted the sky like freckles in the summer, and looking over his shoulder Time could get a glimpse of the moon peering from behind the stray clouds. 

Time sighed, watching a small fox dart out from a bush and skitter away behind the heroes. It had taken them nearly all day to reach Hateno, and Time had the sore feet to prove it. Time couldn’t help but think that this Hyrule was much too big for his liking.

The map in his hands felt heavy. At a first glance back in Riverside Stable, the map had seemed standard. The different regions highlighted bore a striking resemblance to many places the heroes were familiar with. In Time’s Hyrule, a week of travel would have you nearly across the entire kingdom, and many of the other’s lands were much the same. 

But the tiny, almost insignificant line they had traveled in the span of two days really put the true size of this Hyrule into perspective. 

Time wasn’t sure if he was a fan or not. He was leaning towards ‘not.’ 

Four sighed beside him. “Oh thank the goddesses, we’re here.” 

The town was cute, much smaller than Time was expecting. 

The stone archway seemed to beckon the heroes into its embrace, the creak of the wooden sign swinging from above a siren’s song of safety. Small pebble towers lined the very top of the arch, arranged in such a way that was reminiscent of makeshift graves. 

Wind chuckled, racing down the path with a renewed vigor. “Come on! Let’s—” 

A pitchfork sat an inch from his face. 

A frightened face sat at the opposite end of the pitchfork, the man’s knuckles white around the worn wooden handle. He looked simple, dressed in casual wear normally reserved for farmers, not gatekeepers. 

Yet, what gatekeeper used a pitchfork to fend off intruders? 

The man holding the pitchfork glared daggers at the group. “A large group such as yerself is never up ta’ any good, what’s yer business?” 

Time took a cautious step forward, raising his hands as the pitchfork was jabbed closer to Wind’s face. “We’re simply travelers, we’ve come to Hateno looking for someone.” 

The man squinted, lowering his pitchfork. “Well, ya’ll seem like fine folk, Hylian at that . . .” After a moment of pause he sighed, setting his pitchfork to rest against the inner arch. “Sorry ‘bout that, been a little on edge nowadays, what with them Gardins’ poppin’ back up.”

Gardens…?

Oh, Guardians. Right. 

“It’s no worries,” Warriors laughed, standing next to Wind and placing a hand on his shoulder. The silent, ‘touch him and I will end you’ went unspoken, but the man’s eyes screamed that he heard him loud and clear. “Afterall, no loyal guard such as yourself would allow such a large group of strangers past their watch!” 

Time heard Wind hold back a snort, covering it with a cough. 

The man blushed slightly at his words, rubbing the back of his neck. “Aw shoot, I’m no guard. Just a tired ol’ farmer with nutin’ betta ta’ do.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, protecting your home is a very noble act." 

Flattery would only get them so far, but it was far enough to at least get them into the gates. 

The man grinned, leaning against the edge of the archway and brushing the compliment away with a wave of his hand. "Y'all said that yer lookin' for someone? I might be able ta’ point ya in the right direction if ya tell me who." 

Time doubted it would take them long to find what they were looking for in such a small town, but he appreciated the help nonetheless. 

“We’re looking for Link.” 

The man tensed at Time’s simple statement, his fingers gently wrapping around the handle of his pitchfork once again. His smile didn’t lessen, yet it bore into the heroes with a scrutiny unlike any other. 

“Ya know, friends, it’s gettin’ awful late. Why don't cha come ta’ my place fer the night?”

Time could help but pause, frowning as he shook his head. “Thank you for the offer, but we wouldn’t intrude on you like that. We’d just like to find Link so we can—” 

“My wife’s makin’ some fresh banana pie if yer interested.” 

What in Hylia’s name? 

Was this some sort of threat that they were unaware of? Or a strange burst of hospitality shown by the gatekeeper who had yet to even give them his name. 

“Listen, bub,” Legend grumbled, shoving past Time’s arm to stare at the gatekeeper. “I’m sure your wife makes a good whatever-the-fuck, but we don’t want it. We just want to find Link and get this road trip over with.” 

Time internally groaned, near certain that today was the day Legend would die. Whether that be by pitchfork, Warriors hands, or Sky’s lecture was undecided, but each option was just as likely as the next. 

The man loudly sighed, releasing his ‘weapon’ and rubbing a hand against his neck. “Alright, I’ll take ya ta’ the youngin’s house.”

Time blanked, he had no idea of what was going on. 

But before he could voice his confusion, the man had already turned his back to the group, quickly making his way down the small path. With a shrug, Time urged the others to follow him as he trailed behind the gatekeeper. 

The village was peaceful, filled with nothing but the sound of a breeze ruffling through the trees, and the smell of freshly baked bread. Lanterns swayed slowly in a rhythm, the orange and yellow flames dancing around lazily as they bounced off wooden signs and closed windows. The house to the left of Time tried to muffle the laughter within, yet the joyful sounds could not be masked.

Time felt himself smiling as his boots clicked against the brick path. This was the first time since landing in this Hyrule that he truly felt safe. The stables had given them comfort, sure, but the eerie whispers of fear and death had never quite left their minds while they were there. But in the short time within Hateno, Time could already see the others relaxing. 

It was a home. 

“What’re y’all needing Link fer at this here hour?” 

Time sped up his step as a large gap had begun to grow between their guide and the heroes. Despite leaning against his pitchfork with each step and limping forward with a huff, the man had a speed to his gait that proved to be too quick for sightseeing heroes. 

Time cleared his throat, “If it’s too late to intrude we can always wait for morning, we just want to tal—” 

The man cut him off with a laugh. “Nah, y’all’re good, the damn kid never sleeps. Ya should be more worried ‘bout him actually bein’ home.” 

Following their guide, the heroes turned off the brick path into town and onto a small wooden one that snaked upwards and to their right. The wood under their feet was short lived, cutting away to a dirt path leading up to some . . . interesting houses. 

Time felt a chuckle build in his chest at the horrendous block houses ahead of them, a stark contrast to the rest of the cute and simple village below. The air died in his throat as his eyes caught that of the Shekiah’s. 

The eye dug into a strange stone object, almost reminiscent of the guardians outside Fort Hateno. Yet unlike the guardians, a bright, throbbing blue light pooled from spiraling patterns on the strange object. In the breaks between cricket chirps and the howl of the wind, a deep, pulsing hum set the hair on Time’s neck rising. 

But the man seemed unfazed by it, simply continuing on his way past the oddly designed houses. Time shook his head, bumping Wind forward as the younger hero had frozen to stare at the strange, glowing eye. 

Time added, ‘weird glowing sheikah eye rock’ to the ever growing list of things to ask the new Link. 

A small, wooden bridge creaked as their guide hobbled onto it, each step earning a new groan from the obviously old and worn down bridge. Many of the other heroes wasted no time joining the man on the bridge, the boards beneath them bending and crying. 

Time didn’t mind heights, he loved them in fact. But this bridge? He hated this bridge. 

As he slowly made his way across it, he couldn’t help but notice that it felt too small. Granted, he’d been on much smaller and narrower bridges in the past, but something about the lack of handrails and minimal structural support had him on edge. 

The jagged, maw-like rocks jutting out of the water below definitely did nothing to ease Time’s distaste for the rotting bridge. 

But the house awaiting on the other side definitely did. 

It was quaint, much smaller than Time’s own home. The silhouette of the house barely stuck out against the night sky, only distinguished by the light of the moon. A small light flickered in and out of existence near the front door, throwing a strange shadow cast by an awning back and forth. 

Another light, much brighter and stronger than the other, lapped at the bottom of a wok. Two men sat curled up next to it, the orange glow shining off their tired faces as the older looking one absently twirled something in his hands. The two perked up as they noticed the gatekeeper step off the bridge. 

“Yoohoo!” The man holding the spoon leaned forward, his puckered grin shining across the small yard. “Looks as if Thadd’s come to visit us, what a surprise! And he’s brought along so many fine young men too.” 

The man’s voice was melodic, dancing through the night air with a flirtatious undertone that made Time fidget. He never did well with this type, never knowing how to respond or how to stop his discomfort from showing. 

And judging from the winces and groans next to him, he wasn’t the only one. 

Thadd quietly huffed, slowing to a stop a few steps off the bridge. “Y’all seen Link ‘round ere’ today? These fine folk wanna meet ‘im.” 

The older man’s eyes reflected the firelight, darting from hero to hero with a curious smile on his lips. “Well I’m afraid you just missed him,” His arm swung back to gesture at the completely dark house behind him. “The young man’s been so restless since parting ways with Zelda that he packed his bags first thing this morning and set out to catch up with her.” 

Time deflated, catching the devastated and irritated looks of the others, all of which were directed to the man waving a spoon around as if it were a baton. They had already trekked all the way here, only to be pushed in a completely different direction. 

It was starting to feel like a wild goose chase, and Time didn’t think he could take much more of it. 

“How long ago did he leave?’ Warriors took a step towards the campfire, the light licking against the corners of his features. “Do you think we’d be able to catch up to him if we hurried?” 

Both men squinted, staring at Warrior’s face with the same intensity as many of the strangers of this land. The older one frowned, tapping the spoon against his knee. “May I ask why such a large and . . . ‘abled’ group of young men would be looking for Link?” 

Normally, Time would’ve been a little more than annoyed at answering what was essentially the same question when talking to any new person. Yet the people of this Hyrule all held something in common, something that prevented Time from becoming exasperated with their questions. 

They were protecting their Link. 

Seeing three of the most unassuming, scrawny men shoot a fully armored and armed group of adventurers glares at the mention of someone they knew, Time couldn’t help but smile. “We’re from outside of Hyrule, and we’d like to finally meet the rest of our family.” 

* * *

“It’s not everyday that I get to see a family reunion!” Bolson grinned, whispering as to not wake the sleeping heroes surrounding the firepit. 

Thadd and the younger man, whose name Time never found out, had left the heroes and Bolson alone in front of Link’s house nearly an hour ago. After reassuring the group that Link would indeed be back tonight to retrieve a very important item he had left behind, the heroes had all decided to settle in for the night around the base of the large tree. 

Time, Legend, and Bolson were the only one’s still awake. 

Legend snorted. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a reunion if we’ve never met the guy before.” 

Bolson shrugged, prodding at the fire with a stick. “You’ve gotta start somewhere.” 

Hopefully they’d be able to ‘start’ soon, as Time was beginning to get cold. 

“How long did you say until he’d be back?” Time shifted, trying to warm the parts of his body untouched by the warmth of the flames in front of him. 

“Soon. Link always stops after dark to set up camp, and that’s when he’ll realize what he’s forgotten.” 

“Which would be . . ?” Legend leaned forward against his knees, the tips of his bangs swinging dangerously close to the flames. 

Bolson simply chuckled, bringing the spoon to his lips while he set the charred stick aside. He made a shushing noise, puckering his lips against the back of the wooden utensils. “Something very important to the young man.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” 

Bolson hummed, switching the spoon out for the stick as he began poking at the fire again. 

The water gently lapped at the cliff a few paces from Time, the chirps of crickets periodically breaking apart of the rhythmic whisper of the waves. Looking up, Time met the eyes of the moon, it’s face sliced in half as it’s tears filled the night sky. Constellations both familiar and foreign to Time pooled from the moon; he began silently tracing them with his eyes. 

Fero, the Forgetful Queen, Malon’s favorite constellation. Five stars outlined the bent form of Fero, a sixth star symbolizing the tears falling from her cheeks. Fero took notes of everything her husband, the king, liked and cherished so she would not forget it when she awoke each morning. 

She cried, for her notebook sat across the sky, made up of four glistening stars. The Book of the Forgotten, never to be remembered by the one who had written it. 

Time pried his eyes away from the sky, watching as Legend idly drew in the dirt at his feet. He cleared his throat, “So, how long have you known Link for?” 

“Gosh,” Bolson tapped his chin. “I believe it’s been about two and a half years since I first met the young man.” 

“How’d you meet?” Legend asked, not looking up from the dirt. Time craned his neck across the fire to get a glimpse at what he was drawing. He held back a snort at the giant rabbit head staring up at him from the dirt. 

Ravio would certainly be honored by Legend’s drawing, that was for sure. 

Bolson grinned. “Now that’s a story!” Wind shuffled from beside Time, Bolson freezing at the movement. The three of them were quiet as Wind settled back down, lulled back into his dream near instantly. 

They waited a few more moments before Bolson cleared his throat, continuing to speak with a much softer tone. “The house beside us was once owned by one of the knights who perished in the Calamity. Without someone to take care of it, the house fell into a state of disarray and Hateno didn’t want to deal with it anymore. So the mayor called up me and my boys, and we got to work demolishing the thing.”

He chuckled, throwing a glance to the cozy house. “My boys are chipping away at the outer walls when this . . . ‘homeless’ young man comes running up to us.” He raised a hand to his forehead in a fit of dramatics, as if he was recounting the horrors of that day. “He was absolutely covered in grime, you couldn’t even see the poor boy’s hair underneath all the mud! His shirt was about three sizes too small, and his pants looked as if he’d put them in a box full of moths for years on end.

“And by Dinraal the questions! He was like a toddler, asking the most simple questions with such wonder and sincerity in his eyes. So when he asked to buy the place, of course I cut him a deal.” 

. . . What?

Time frowned. “How old would you say he was at the time?” 

“Fifteen? Maybe sixteen at the latest.” 

Legend jerked his head upright, staring at Bolson with disbelief. “You sold a house to a sixteen year old?” 

Bolson waved his hand. “Oh hush! He’s plenty old to want to settle down.” 

Time couldn’t find himself agreeing. This kid should be exactly that, a kid. He shouldn’t be buying a house on his own. 

. . . But who was Time to judge. 

“So if you have no business here, why do you stick around?” 

“The kids aren’t home very often, so someone has to tend to their house while they’re gone.” 

“How long ago did Zelda move in?” Legend frowned, dragging his foot across his drawing until the dirt was smooth once more.

“Oh, a year or two ago? It was just a few months after the Calamity disappeared.” 

Time swore he got more and more confused by this Hyrule’s story each time he tried to learn more. Especially on the topic of this land’s hero and princess, who seemed to exist in two different times. 

Yet another thing to add to the ever growing list of things to ask the new Link. Right alongside his earlier addition. 

“And what’re Link and Zelda like?” Legend began sketching into the dirt again, only glancing up as he questioned Bolson. 

“Well, Zelda’s an interesting character, always spends her time up in that hideous lab at the top of the hill.” Bolson pointed towards the hill, yet all Time could make out was a faint blue glow from the very peak. 

Not unlike that of the weird stone near Link’s house. 

“And Link . . . well, he’s a beast that one. The first few months we knew him, he was wild and skittish, as if he’d never been around other people before. Of course, he’s adjusted as time’s gone on, but that animalistic side of him has never gone away.

“But the two of them make up perhaps the most chaotic duo I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Why, there’s never a dull moment with them around!” 

Legend snorted. “They sound more exhausting than anything.” 

“Well, on their good days yes. Yet they don’t have many of those I’m afraid.” 

Time frowned, straightening. “What do you mean by that?” 

Bolson shuffled, biting his lip as he glanced between Time and Legend. “I’m not sure it’s my story to tell, especially since I don’t have all the details. But they—” 

The bridge groaned, creaking softly as light footsteps and clicking hooves tapped against the wood. A soft intake of breath stopped the footsteps, a nicker masking the bridge’s groans. Time felt his breathing slow, turning his head to face the noise. 

A hooded figure stood frozen in the middle of the bridge, unmoving as the horse at their side nudged their hidden face. 

Bolson chuckled, yet Time’s eyes did not leave the figure as Bolson spoke. 

“Well speak of the devil.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, very sorry for this chapter's delay! Hopefully with the upcoming winter break I can work on editing a lot more. I was hoping to get an extra little side story done for this fic for this American Thanksgiving weekend, but I guess you can see how that went lol. (Maybe some other time) I would like to also revisit this chapter in the future and rework some parts of it, for I feel as if the flow is a little janky. But I needed to post it as is because if I didn't, I never would lol. 
> 
> Alright, first off I cannot thank all the wonderful people who comment on this fic enough. You truly bring a smile to my face with each one, and I feel as if I have trouble expressing that in my responses to you all. So know that each comment, no matter how short or long really brings me a joy unlike any other. So, thank you!
> 
> (And thank you to the Anon on tumblr and the kind message you sent me!!! You made me feel a bit better about delaying this chapter, and I'm really glad you like this story! So if you happen to be reading this, thank you so very much)
> 
> Second, I hope everyone is having an amazing day today! And if not, I hope that your day can get a little better :) 
> 
> And I'm probably not going to do this a lot, but here are some of my self guidelines for this chapter: 
> 
> [Time has Vietnam flashbacks about trains] 
> 
> [Do farmers have country accents. If their name is Thadd then yes] 
> 
> [mmmm, bananas] 
> 
> [smexy gay men are sexy, Time isn't liking the vibe thou] 
> 
> [Talk about arson child]
> 
> [Oh shit, it's arson child!]


	6. The Asking Game

Time knew he was staring, but he couldn’t find it in himself to look away. 

The figure had visibly tensed under Time’s gaze, their left hand tangling itself into the horse’s mane with a shuddering breath. Their other hand rested on their hip, fingers barely gracing a small, glowing object pressed against their side. A soft blue light, not unlike that of the sheikah’s eye just 100 paces away, curled around their gloved fingers, gently fanning out into the darkness. 

No matter how hard Time squinted, the figure remained a simple silhouette in the night, with the tip of their nose just barely escaping the dark veil of a hood. Despite this fact, Time was near certain that they were staring straight at him. 

He could feel the phantom pin-pricks of eyes that bore straight into his heart, searching for something. The stranger was analyzing him, taking in every detail they possibly could and filing it away for later. Their head swiveled slightly, glancing over each of the heroes individually before stopping somewhere to Time’s right. 

Right where Four lied, arm wrapped tightly to his chest. 

Time could only watch in confusion as the figure tensed even more, letting their hand drop from the horse and instead rest on their low back. Their cloak snapped in the breeze, filling the tense air surrounding the small house. 

Until Bolson cleared his throat, causing the figure’s head to snap to face the noise. “Come back home already? I didn’t think you’d miss me that much~” 

The figure shuffled, visibly embarrassed. Their hands dropped to their sides, the palm of one still illuminated by the throb of light clipped to their hip. The other hand reached out, fingers and wrist rotating in the universal term for ‘give.’ 

“Oh, did someone forget something like I said he would?” Bolson chuckled, twirling his spoon in his hands. “Honestly, darling, you’re more forgetful than Hudson sometimes!” 

Seemingly discarding all previous wariness, the figure relaxed. His left hand rested on his hip, stuck out slightly as he sighed. The gloved hand twitched once more, albeit with much more urgency than before. 

Bolson tsked, shaking his head slowly. “We need to work on your manners, young man~ Not even a simple please?” 

When the carpenter got no response, he sighed. In one fluid movement, the spoon was sent flying through the air and towards the figure. Almost immediately Time could see that the spoon wouldn’t reach its destination. Bolson had somehow managed to overshoot the figure, the spoon sailing above his head. 

The figure scrambled to grab it, jumping decently high into the air in a desperate act to retrieve the utensil. Yet his fingers only just barely scraped the—

What in Hylia’s name?

Time stared dumbfounded as the spoon fell apart midair. Long, wispy strands of blue light swirled out of the spoon, unraveling its very core until all that remained was the light. It danced around the figure’s outstretched hand, reflecting against his bracer as it trailed across his arm and down his chest. 

With one last flourish, the light melted into the small object on the figure’s hip. A blue pulse of light reached all the way to nip at the edges of the campfire before it faded to a dull throb once more. 

A quick glance to Legend’s shocked expression assured Time that he wasn’t, infact, hallucinating. 

Bolson huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. “Bit hard to make dinner without the proper tools, isn’t it?” 

The figure exhaled softy, as if to snort. The hood swayed with each shake of his head, yet the dark fabric refused to reveal any more than the figure’s nose. The bridge creaked as he stepped forward, the horse huffing as it stuck close to his side. 

“While you’re here, you may as well greet your guests!”

And then he froze, staring at the heroes as if he had forgotten they were there. 

“Oh please darling, these fine young men are harmless!” Time resisted the urge to jerk his arm away as Bolson patted it for emphasis. “And they’re much better conversationalists compared to you.” 

His tone was playful yet calm as Bolson tried to coax the figure off the bridge. Time could have laughed, feeling a sense of deja vu in the moment. 

Many years back a snowstorm had ripped through Hyrule Field, coating the ranch in nearly three feet of snow overnight. To the surprise of the couple, Time and Malon had found a small cat seeking shelter in their barn the morning after the storm. After many scratches, whispered encouragements, and bowls of warmed milk they had finally managed to calm the wild cat enough to bring it inside. 

And standing with his back arched, head darting between Time, Legend, and Bolson, the figure held an uncanny resemblance to that of an untamed barn cat. A cat that Bolson was trying to tame. 

“They’ve come all this way to meet you, you know.” Bolson pushed himself off the ground, dusting himself off gently before placing a hand on his hips. “It would be impolite to ignore them.” 

The bridge creaked, hooves and boots clicking against the wood as the two beasts inched forward. The light of the flames barely reached the figure’s boots, yet Time could tell they were caked with mud and blood. 

Time cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself as he prayed he wouldn’t mess this up. “We’re very sorry to intrude on you at this hour, but we were hoping we could have a chance to speak with you.” 

Keep it vague, elaborate later. 

The stranger, this land’s Link presumably, stared Time down. His hood twitched where his ears would sit with each small noise. From the chirp of a cricket, the huff of the horse, or the shifting of sleeping heroes. His hands weren’t still, slowly reaching back to grip something behind his back. 

Bolson sighed. “If these men meant any harm, they wouldn’t still be sitting in front of your house.” 

Link hesitated, before relaxing. Squeaking steps slowly made their way across the remainder of the bridge, with the horse deciding it was done waiting around and happily trotting ahead of its owner. Link appeared to have no reaction as his horse gladly ignored the strangers by the fire and instead settled itself into the small stables on the opposite side of the house. 

Just like Epona would often do. 

The bridge gave one last cry for help, before cutting off into the silence altogether. Link’s boots stepped onto solid ground, standing just a few feet away from Time and Legend. 

He was shorter than Time envisioned. Sure, he traveled with shorter, but the height of this Link felt oddly disproportionate to the size of his Hyrule. With such a large land to explore, Link certainly had some short legs to do so on. 

In the light of the fire, Time could get a better look at the figure. A shirt, which Time assumed to be some shade of green or blue, hid behind a dark cloak. Belts with numerous pouches and buckles sat snugly around Link’s chest and waist, and Time realized the thing hidden behind his back had been a quiver, held up by a thick brown belt. The fletchings seemed to be frayed and dirty, but Time wouldn’t be able to tell if they could fly without a closer look. 

His pants were scuffed, stained with either mud or blood, but most likely a combination of both. A fingerless glove donned his left hand, illuminated by the pulsing rectangle on his hip. 

A much smaller sheikah’s eye stared up at Time from the device. 

Link quickly closed the gap between himself and the group of half passed out heroes. Time took note of the poorly hidden limp that nearly sent the figure stumbling to the ground, the shallow and wheezing breaths that shook Time to his core. His bracer dripped red, only noticeable when Link stood a foot away from Time’s face, a drop of blood marking the ground where he once stood. 

Without a second glance to Bolson or the heroes, Link limped straight past them. The door swung open with a soft creek, slamming closed as the tip of his cloak retracted inside. The lights within the house slowly grew in brightness, shining through a small window higher up on the house before the shutters clicked shut. 

“Well,” Bolson chuckled, stepping away from Legend’s side to lean against the wooden sign. “At least he didn’t run away.” 

Legend groaned, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. “I assume that was Link?” 

Bolson nodded, staring at the house as a loud crash shook the walls. Time felt Warriors jump awake, hand tight around his sword as his eyes darted around. Four was quick to follow, sitting up with a groan as shattering glass slammed against their senses. 

“What in Hyrule is he doing in there?” Warriors huffed, letting his hand fall from the hilt of his blade and rest on the grass below. 

Bolson shrugged, not looking at the newly awakened heroes and instead at the house. “I’ll check.” 

Before anyone could interject, Bolson’s knuckles gently tapped against the door. The shuffling inside stopped, and seconds later the door creaked open. A single eye poked out from the door, still hidden by the hood. 

Bolson huffed, placing his hands on his hips. “These young men came all this way to see you, and this is how you act? I swore we taught you better.” 

The door swung open, two ungloved hands leaving the comfort of the door frame. Time felt his stomach lurch as his eyes traced the scars coiled around Link’s palms and fingers. One ran down the entirety of his left index finger, wrapping up around the tip before stopping under the nail. His palms looked as if they had been torn open, healed, and then torn open again. Thick lines zig-zagged their way around his hands before disappearing underneath his sleeves.

_ “Don’t know them.” _

Time relaxed, for once thankful for his lack of verbal communication as a child. Or rather, thankful that he was fluent in sign language. The signs appeared to have stayed relatively the same from his time period, granted Time had only seen a fragment of this era’s sign. 

He could work with this though. 

Link obviously didn’t expect any of his new visitors to know what he was saying, unaware that three of the four who sat awake could understood his motions with extreme clarity. Legend was a bit in the dark, but they would fill him in at a later date if the need arose. 

“Of course you don’t know them, they’re not from around here.”  _ _

Link huffed, poking his head out of the door to look over the heroes. He froze briefly at the sight of two new pairs of eyes on him, but quickly brushed it off.  _ “Where from?”  _

“Some small island outside of Hyrule, it’s their first time in the kingdom!” 

Time imaged Link would’ve been glaring at Bolson, but his assumption couldn’t be proven with the stupid hood hiding his emotions.  _ “Where.”  _

Time held back a silent curse, realizing they had never given their fabricated island a name. If they didn’t already seem suspicious, this would tip the scales against them quite significantly. 

However, Bolson shrugged. “They never said, but I’m sure they’d be more than willing to answer any questions you have for them.” 

Oh thank Hylia for overly trustworthy townsfolk. 

Link huffed, crossing his arms and turning his head away from Bolson. Time held back a snort, Link looked like a little kid who didn’t get what he wanted. 

Bolson shook his head, and Time could practically hear him rolling his eyes. “Darling, all I’m asking is that you hear them out. Although, you should probably show them to the inn first, it’d be rude to make them sleep in your yard.” 

_ “Why didn’t you?”  _

“Well, if I had you wouldn’t have stuck around in the morning to properly meet them.” 

_ “Not staying.”  _

“If you say so,” Bolson chuckled. 

Link grumbled, poking his head out once more to look at the strangers huddled around his fire. Four waved, and Link’s head immediately darted back inside. Without any further conversation, the door slammed closed. Bolson hummed as loud clattering echoed through the night, seemingly unphased by the noise. 

Grumbling drew Time’s attention back to the camp, where many disheveled heroes had awoken. Wind yawned, reaching over to shake Sky awake, seeing as half of the older hero’s body was pinning Wind down to the ground. 

“What’re we doin’?” Hyrule slurred, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he lazily looked around the yard. 

“We aren’t sure,” Legend huffed, helping pull Sky to his feet. “Either we’re being taken to an inn, or we’re searching for one.” 

“Don’t you young men worry.” Bolson turned to them, leaning against the side of the house. “Link has a hard time refusing to help others, he’ll be out in just a moment.” 

As if on cue, the door swung open. Link, still wearing the hood, shut the door behind him. He quickly closed the gap between himself and the heroes, standing expectantly in front of Time. 

After a few seconds of silent confusion, Link sighed, grabbing onto Time’s wrist and pulling him off the ground. Without letting go, he pulled Time in the direction of the bridge, stopping to look over his shoulder when no one else made any move to follow. 

Link let out a satisfied hum as the others began to catch on, standing from their resting place and beginning to file towards the bridge. He gave Time’s wrist one last tug, before letting go and not looking back. 

. . . This would be interesting.

* * *

“Sir, I can’t keep giving you discounts each time you stay here.” The woman behind the counter leaned around Link to look at the half-asleep mob of heroes behind him. “And with so many sudden guests I don’t think I can—”

His hands moved quickly, and Time strained to see around his back to make out the signs. It looked like simple finger-spelling, and Time couldn’t help but wonder how many people around here actually knew sign language.

“I—” the woman frowned, glancing between a book on the counter and Link. She sighed, “Fine, but this is the last time.”

Link nodded, content with her answer as he swiftly made his way to a small stool in the corner of the room, plopping down as he pulled out a small pouch from . . . somewhere. 

It was like the spoon, but in reverse. Blue strands of light pooled out of the rectangle on his hip, swirling and dancing in the air before solidifying in Link’s hand with a thump. 

It was then that Time realized most everyone had been asleep when Link had done the same to the spoon. 

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” Wind, his grogginess suddenly gone, rushed to Link. Time held back a grimace as the poor teen jerked back, dropping the pouch onto the ground as Wind grabbed his hands. “Do it again.”

The woman looked over to Link with a tired smile before turning her attention to Time. “We only have six beds, but I’m sure you gentlemen can come to an arrangement for the night.” She dotted a quill into a small jar of ink, etching the black liquid into the paper of a large book. “What time would you like to be woken?” 

“Early morning if possible.” The woman hummed in response to Time’s answer, quickly jotting something down in the large guest book before setting the quill down. 

Time surveyed the building, already noting that it was much better built than the stables had been. What with it being an actual building and not a tent. Rugs and fabrics littered the rooms, contrasted nicely with a small knick-knacks and pictures scattered around. A small dining room sat off in a small corner room, small candles illuminating the top of a fully set table. Next to it sat an isolated room of sorts, with the two beds within perfect for a family wanting privacy.

Or to separate the snorers from everyone else.

Time smiled as more of the heroes had gathered around their silent guide. A small pile of apples sat on the floor next to the stool, another one swirling into existence in his open palm. 

Legend grabbed the apple, tossing it between his hands before letting it roll to join the pile. “What kind of magic is this?” 

Link shrugged, bending down to grab one of the numerous apples at his feet. He handed it to Wind, holding the rectangular object in his hand as Wind scrutinized the apple. With a snap of his fingers and tap of his rectangle, the apple fell apart. Wind’s eyes lit up as the light strands snaked around his fingers, pouring from his palm and into the rectangle like water. 

“Woah,” Wind quickly grabbed another apple, handing it to Hyrule as he grinned. “Does it do other things?”

Another tap, snap, and the apple in Hyrule’s hand was gone. Link let the rectangle hand down to the ground, tapping the corner of it against the stack of apples. The fruits began to vanish one-by-one, until all that remained was the lazy wisps of light. Link hummed, swiping his finger across the flat part of the object before tapping it once again.

A large spear clattered into existence behind the heroes.

Warriors whistled, “Impressive.” 

The woman coughed, staring at Link with a gentle and patient smile. “Sir, I still need you to pay.” 

Link stood quickly, nearly falling over as he reached a hand under his hood to rub the back of his neck. He snatched the small, forgotten pouch from the ground, sorting through it as he briskly made his way to the desk. 

The woman smiled as a purple and red rupee were set on the desk. In one fluid motion, the gems were snatched from the counter and tucked into a large pouch just under their view. 

The interruption seemingly put Link’s messing around to an end. He slammed a foot onto the handle of the spear, barely managing to catch it before the head of the weapon slammed into his face. He tapped the slate with his free hand, and the spear quickly vanished, replaced with a small bundle of rolled fabric. 

Four barely had any time to react as the bandages were thrown towards him. He looked at Link in confusion, who held an arm to his chest and mimicked wrapping it. 

Time could see the message click into place in Four’s face. “Oh, thank you.” 

With one last nod, the door closed behind Link, leaving seven heroes and an innkeeper behind. 

“And off he goes,” Legend huffed, already making his way up the stairs. “What a great conversationalist.”

Sky yawned, “Do we need to go after him?”

“No, I’ll go after him. You need to sleep,” Time said, gently nudging Sky in the direction of the small room.

“Uh, no. You’ve barely gotten any sleep these past two nights. I’ll talk to him,” Warriors huffed.

“I can easily go three nights without sleep, you can’t.”

“That doesn’t mean you should.”

Time sighed, “If I don’t take watch for three nights, then we call it even.”

Warriors glared at Time, yet relaxed in defeat. “Fine.” He ushered a stumbling Four up the stairs, turning to Time with one last huff. “But remember that if you aren’t at your best, none of us are.” 

Time couldn’t find it in himself to fully agree with that sentiment, but he understood where it was coming from. He was the one they looked to for advice, for help. He helped hold them all together, and Hylia knows how much they needed to stay in one piece. 

Now more than ever. 

He nodded, letting the cool night air brush against his face as he opened the door. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * *

It didn’t take long for Time to find where Link had run off to. 

He had expected to find him at his house, settling in for the night before ducking out on the heroes before they could wake up the following morning. Shoot, Time had even entertained the possibility that he’d have to trample through the endless forests surrounding the town, crossing through freezing rivers and bottomless cliffs to find Link. 

But the kid was simply down the road from the inn, legs kicking over the side of a small dock overlooking a slow moving stream. 

An empty bottle, much like the pink ones Ember had given the heroes when they first arrived, sat discarded behind Link.

Not wanting to startle Link, Time cleared his throat. Before he could blink Link had whipped around to face him. Time froze, raising his hands in surrender.

“Easy, kid. It’s just me.” 

Link didn’t move, staring him down as Time slowly inched closer to where he sat on the dock. Link finally scoffed, turning back to stare at the water. Time took that as an invitation to join him, sitting down as close as he dared to the hooded teen. 

Lowering himself down to sit, he noticed Link turn his head away slightly. Hands knit together in his lap. Link’s feet kicked in the air, the tip of his boots barely missing the waters edge as they swung back up. Time wasn’t so lucky, needing to fold his legs back to stop his entire foot from submerging in the stream.

The soft flow of a waterfall to their left echoed throughout the sleepy village, singing to the very sky herself. A fish swam gently through the slow current, weaving under Link’s feet before darting deeper into the water. 

Time looked to Link, who was doing everything in his power to ignore the stranger at his side. He needed to change that. 

“It’s beautiful tonight.” 

Link hummed in response, tracing the scars on his hands absently. It was a start. 

“When I have a lot on my mind, I tend to go out at night and trace the stars.” Time smiled, picturing Malon excitedly explaining a new constellation she had made up when he was gone. “It helps me to relax, and clearly think through what’s bothering—” 

“Who are you?”

The quiet rasp of Link’s voice nearly made Time jump. It was rough from disuse, Time could instantly tell it hadn’t been used in weeks. Perhaps even months. His voice had been much the same before he had first met Malon, but Link’s voice had a gentle sing to it that threw Time for a loop. 

It was too . . . childish. It felt as if it didn’t belong, too young for someone so skittish. It didn’t match the desolate Hyrule, and it didn’t match the scars coating Link’s hands. 

Time cleared his throat awkwardly, realizing he had been staring. “My name’s Time.” 

Link softly snorted, though it sounded more like a huff. “Weird name.” 

Time nodded, and silence filled the space between them. Link made no move to say any more, instead opting to look at the water. The lip of his hood curled into itself just enough for Time to catch sight of his neck, and he felt his stomach drop. 

Thick pink scars ran along the visible skin, reminiscent of a large bite mark . . .

Oh dear goddesses, that was a bite scar. The clear indents of sharp teeth made Time sick, the way the skin dipped downwards, as if chunks of flesh were missing, made his stomach dip even more. It looked slightly newer, most likely within the last year or so. 

The wheezing breaths shook Time from his mind. Right, Link had been limping at the bridge. 

“Are you okay? You were limping pretty bad back at the bridge.” 

“I’m fine.” 

If his shallow breaths were anything to go by, he certainly wasn’t. The potion discarded behind them may have been able to heal his leg, but not much of anything else. Time sighed, he couldn’t push it if Link didn’t want to talk about it. 

Time stared awkwardly at Link. He wasn’t good at this, not like Sky or Twilight. But Twilight wasn’t around, and Sky was already passed out in the inn. Time took a deep breath, he could do this. He just needed to get Link to open up, he could do that. 

He didn’t have to fully understand Link to hold a conversation. 

Time sighed, noticing the still tense posture of Link. “I know sign, if you would prefer to—” 

“It’s fine.” 

Time shuffled, tired of his legs hanging off the dock he pulled them closer to himself, folding them out in front of him. “Hateno is a lovely town.” 

“Yeah.” Link nodded, turning to look over his shoulder at the darkened houses. 

“Where’d you live before this?” 

Link shrugged. “Nowhere.” 

“Ah, I hear it’s lovely there at this time of year.”

Silence. Goddess, Time really had no idea how to break through to this kid. 

“Ah, that was a jo—”

“What do you want from me?”

Link had turned to face him, truly looking at Time for the first time since he had sat down. The hood cast a dark shadow across his face, but Time could just barely make out the faint outline of a frown in the darkness. 

Time huffed, “You interrupt a lot, you know.” 

“Mmm.” 

When Link continued to stare at him, Time groaned. He wasn’t sure what he should do, Sky was much better at explaining the whole situation much better than he was, but Time supposed he had no choice. 

Either he told Link the truth, or he kept it a secret and drew further suspicion to himself and the others. 

Or he could push off explaining the truth until the morning. 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not great at explaining the situation, but if you’ll hear us out, the others can explain it to you in the morning.” 

Link stared at his face, looking for some hint of dishonesty in Time’s words. When he apparently found none he nodded, looking back down at the water.

“Okay.” 

Well, there was step one out of the way. Next step was to actually find out what kind of person Link was. 

Time frowned, trying to figure out just what to say when it clicked. 

“Are you up for a short game?” 

Link turned back to look at him again, head tilted to the side in confusion, much like a dog’s. “What do you mean?” 

Time smiled, now he had his attention. He leaned forward, resting his elbows against his legs and holding his head in his hands. “Well, when I was younger I was very shy. I never wanted to talk to anyone, especially if it was about myself. So my friend made up a game that helped me to come out of my shell.” 

Link had fully turned to face him, and Time barely noticed the frown in the shadows replaced with a slight smile. “What’s it called?” 

“The asking game.” 

Link exhaled softly again. “Really?” 

“We were five at the time, give us a little credit.” 

“Okay, how do you play?” There was no mistaking it, Link was grinning under the hood. For some reason, that little fact brought Time more joy then he would’ve thought. 

Perhaps it was because he could see a younger him within the newest Link. 

“Well, what’s your favorite color?” 

“Really?” 

Time huffed, casually closing the gap between them by an inch. “Yes, really.” 

There was a period of silence as Link shook his head in disbelief, before finally answering. “Blue.” 

Time nodded, taking note of the now obviously blue shirt that Link wore. “And now you can ask me a question.” 

Link paused, rubbing his hand scars once again before shrugging. “What’s your favorite color.” 

“Original,” Time chuckled. 

His smile widened as Link gently laughed. “Just answer.” 

Time didn’t need to think his answer over, this was an easy one. “Red.” 

“Like your tattoos?” 

“No,” Time brought a hand up to the lines on his face without a second thought, rubbing against them. “Red, like the color of my wife’s hair.” 

“Ah.” 

“And now it goes back to me.” Time turned his body to fully face Link. “What’s your favorite food?” 

Link answered without pause. “Apple pie.” 

Comfort food, fair enough. 

“You?” 

Another easy one. “Fresh bread, straight from the oven. Especially when my wife swirls cinnamon into the dough beforehand.” 

Link nodded, leaning closer towards Time as if to further absorb what he was saying. Like a little kid, soaking up each and every word when they were interested.

Time could deal with kids . . . he was good with kids. 

“Do you have any pets?” 

Link nodded. “Horse and . . . Wolf.” 

Time snorted, unable to help it. Dear Hylia, he had an interesting way of naming things.

“Do you?” 

“Lots of horses and cuccos,” Time chuckled. “But Epona is my horse.” 

Time tapped his chin, trying to find a good question to ask. One that dug a little deeper than the questions they were asking currently. 

“Your greatest fear?” 

Link didn’t seem in the least bit fazed by the question. “Forgetting.” 

Time frowned, filing his answer into the back of his head as he tried to figure out his own fear before Link asked him. He was scared of a lot of things for sure, but most of them were more along the lines of concepts, not physical fears. 

And he couldn’t say ‘the moon’ and not expect a weird look. 

“Where are you from?” 

Time’s brain went silent, trying desperately to find some excuse that would fit. 

“I’m from somewhere extremely far from here. I live on a ranch with my wife and all of our animals.” 

Link hummed, folding his hands in his lap. Alright, Time guessed that answer would suffice for now. 

And now Time could ask a more personal question. 

“Are you the hero from one hundred years ago?” 

Link shifted, stretching his legs out to kick the water, sending a small school of fish dashing away from the disturbance. “He’s dead.” 

“What’s your connection with the hero then?” 

Time knew he was pushing his luck, but if he could just get a few answers . . . Maybe he could understand this Link a little more. 

“I used to be him, and then he died in the Calamity and I replaced him.” 

Time could feel some pieces of the puzzle clicking together, but he figured he’d push his luck one last time. “Would you mind telling me that story?” 

Link shrugged, leaning back to lay on the dock. “Sure. It’s not that exciting, though.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like, not even a joke, I love the end scene with Link and Time so much. Something about the way they slowly open up a bit more, considering they're two of the heroes who tend to not open up that much. There's another scene in the future (the last chapter) that I love as much as this one, but it's got more emotion behind it. 
> 
> Once again, thank you very much for all the kind comments, you all really help me have the energy to get through the week! 
> 
> (And holy-- 500 kudos?! I was a giddy wreck after I saw that!! Thank you all so very much <3 ) 
> 
> (Side note, I loved some of the theories about what Link left at home, but it was a spoon. Link (Wild) has very low standards, but when it comes to cooking he will never cut any corners. Realizing he left his spoon at home, he wasn't about to stir his soup with a stick, so he immediately made his way back to retrieve it.) 
> 
> (Side, side note, if you notice any typos or errors please don't hesitate to let me know :> I try to catch them as I edit but when you read the same chunk of text over and over again, things tend to slip past)


	7. Heartbreak on the Hill

Time sighed, dragging a hand absently across the thin sheets above him. He blankly stared at the chipped ceiling while he listened to Four’s soft breathing from beside him. Wood scraped against wood as Legend shifted, pushing the chair he was sitting on backwards. His snores were muffled by his arms, crossed on the desk to cushion his head. 

Time closed his eyes, slowly forcing his muscles to relax one by one. But as he got to his shoulders, he huffed, forcing his eyes open once more to stare at the ceiling. This was pointless. He hadn’t been able to clear his head long enough to sleep all night, why would now be any different? 

He just couldn’t get the newest hero out of his head. 

Giant laser robots, Time could handle. Post-apocalyptic wastelands? Sure, why not. Glowing moons that could revive the dead? Why, that was just a typical Tuesday in the life of a hero. 

It wasn’t the Hyrule itself that Time had an issue with, it was the hero. 

Time dragged an arm up to cover his eyes, sighing. The conversation on the dock, still clear in his mind, each little word and sound ringing loudly through his thoughts. 

“. . . Goddesses, kid.” 

Link had chuckled, his arm pressed against his eyes while his hood dipped below his chin. Time had tried to not stare at the scars, the ones digging into Link’s cheeks and curling beneath the hood. But by the goddesses, he hadn’t been able to stop himself.

It made him sick knowing just how Link had gotten them. 

Time had asked a stupid question at the time, one that made his skin crawl just thinking about it. The casualty of Link’s answer made him want to throw up. 

“Did it hurt?” 

Link had paused, before smiling. “Yeah, a lot.” 

Time bitterly chuckled at his own incompetence. Of course it had hurt, the kid had died for goddess sake. 

Link had only briefly gone over what had happened one hundred years ago. It was enough for Time to draw conclusions in all the gaps in the story, but never any solid ones. At the age of sixteen, Link had died protecting the princess from corrupted guardians. Zelda had ordered for him to be placed in the Shrine of Resurrection, where he later awoke one hundred years later without a memory to his name. Over the course of two years, he had worked to free the giant lase— Divine Beasts and seal away the Calamity. 

Which Time learned was actually Ganon. Or at least, some form of him. 

But aside from some of Time’s questioning, Link had rarely talked about himself during the story. He glossed over his death and memory loss completely, focusing more on the state of Hyrule and the princess’s struggles. His battles were played down, viewed as something not worth going in depth about. 

Almost as if he felt he wasn’t an important part of his own story. 

Time had noticed more than just his scars once the hood had shifted enough to reveal parts of Link’s face. The shape of his nose stood out against his silhouette, small and round like a child’s. His lips were chapped, the color nearly matching that of his scars in the darkness. The shape of his face was oddly familiar, tugging at a memory in the back of Time’s head that wouldn’t show itself. 

Or perhaps, Time didn’t want to know why it gave him such a sense of deja vu. 

Maybe it was Link’s age, being on the younger side of things. He saw a lot of himself in the kid, so he prayed that was the reason why his heart hurt just to look at him. But he did have to admit, the kid almost reminded him of Wi— 

No. 

Time groaned, feeling his heart pound against his chest and his stomach twist into a knot. He took a deep breath, attempting to slow his breathing to match Four’s. 

In. 

Out. 

In. 

Out. 

In. 

. . . Fuck it. 

Time rolled onto his side, swinging his legs off the bed with a groan. Slowly, he pulled himself upright, raising his arms above his head as his back snapped and clicked into place. The dark purple sleeves of his shirt fell down slightly, resting just above his elbows. They had tried to return the borrowed clothes just before they had left Riverside Stable, but Ember had insisted they keep them. The clothes benefited Ember more when someone was using them, and they weren’t just sitting in a chest left to rot. 

At least they all had actual sleepwear now. 

Time stood, floorboard creaking under his feet. Hyrule stirred from his bed against the far wall, grumbling as he turned away from the noise. 

A few nights with a roof over their head and already the others were growing complacent. 

. . . Well, that just wouldn't do. 

With a quick glance to the window to make sure that it was indeed morning, Time quietly laughed. Slowly, as to not disturb the sleeping beauties around him, he crept his way to the staircase. He winced as the stairs squealed under his weight, causing a shift of fabric from the beds, but he continued on his path nonetheless. 

The woman from the night before was behind the counter, idly thumbing through a small book before looking up to Time with a smile. “Good morning! I was actually going to wake you in about an hour, are the others up already or would you still like me to wake them?” 

“Ah, no. It’s just me, I couldn’t sleep.” Time shot a glance to the small, two person bedroom. Sky and Warriors had been voted universally to take the room; Warriors because he was a notorious snorer, and Sky because he could sleep through just about anything. “Actually, I was wondering if you had any other guests staying here at the moment.” 

She frowned, folding a corner of her book’s page before setting it on the desk. “No, none so far. May I ask why?” 

“Just thought I’d give my boys a bit of a wake-up call.” 

She grimaced, her eyes flicking up to look at the poor boys still asleep. “. . . Okay, but please don’t damage anything.” 

Time laughed. “I don’t plan to, don’t worry— I don’t believe I got your name.” 

She blinked, eyebrows raised in surprise. “Oh, my name’s Prima. I can’t believe I didn’t tell you sooner, I’m normally good about that.” 

“Well, good morning to you as well, Prima.” Time smiled, giddy inside as he turned towards the small kitchen. 

It was small yet practical. A tiny fireplace for cooking sat on the furthest wall from Time, a few pots and pans covering its surface. A table sat in the center of the room, fully set and waiting for a feast to be set upon it. Rows of pots and pans hung next to the window with a worn pot lid propped up beneath it. 

And one tired looking Link sat on the ground, rectangle— Er, Sheikah Slate in hand. 

Small chimes and rings echoed from the device, with each tap a blue light highlighted Link’s face from under his hood. His lower face was covered, wrapped in a dark cloth that hid everything but his eyes. 

He was deep in thought, not having even spared Time a glance. Time cleared his throat, wincing as Link jumped, tightening his grip on the slate. A beat passed before Link relaxed, slipping the slate onto his belt with a huff. 

Time chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “It’s just me again.” 

Link snorted, raising his right hand to his chin. In one fluid motion he brought his hand sweeping downwards, quickly raising his left arm to sit flat in front of his chest. Hooking his right elbow around his left hand, he brought his right hand sweeping upwards and towards his face. 

Back to signing it seemed. 

“And good morning to you as well. I hope you slept well?” 

_ “No. You?”  _

Time shook his head with a smile. “No, but I guess that’s something we have in common.” 

Link hummed, pushing himself off the ground to close the gap between himself and Time. _ “What are you doing?”  _

Oh, this could be fun. 

Time grinned, watching Link perk up as he saw the mischief in Time’s eyes. “I’m getting ready to wake the others up, actually.” 

If Time could see under the cloth, he was almost certain Link would be grinning as well.  _ “Help?”  _

And thus, Time’s plan was set into motion. 

“I was hoping you’d ask.” 

* * *

Time had to admit, the six death glares all directed towards him was well worth the hour of setup.

Link had happily supplied Time with various metal objects from his slate, and they had gotten to work shortly after the last shield had materialized. Pots and pans covered the floor surrounding their beds, metal shields hung from the rafters by thin ropes, and Time had stood with a hammer near the staircase. 

With the bang of a shield, the heroes had all jumped up and out of bed, only to crash into the various objects surrounding them. It was like the air itself had screamed, and Time couldn’t have been happier. 

“I have never wanted to kill you more than I do right now.” 

Warriors scoffed, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to get it to lay correctly. “I hate to agree with Legend, but I agree with Legend.” 

Time shrugged, trying and failing to keep a smile off his face. “You’re not alert enough, someone had to change that.” 

Four grumbled, blue eyes glaring at Link, who sat quietly in the corner tapping away on his slate. “Did you have to rope the new he—” He cut himself off, clearing his throat with a cough. “Did you have to rope Link into your schemes though? Now he’s tainted.”

Time huffed, leaning against the wall next to Link’s side. “I don’t scheme. Wind and Legend scheme, I find learning opportunities and use them to my advantage.” 

Warriors groaned, hiding his eyes behind his hand. “Goddess, you sound like one of them.” 

“Is that an insult for Legend and I, and insult for Time, or both?” 

“Both.”

“Well fuck you then.” 

“Language!” Sky sputtered, looking at Wind in horror. 

Wind shrugged. “If Time can wake us all up at the ass-crack of dawn, I think I’m allowed to curse.” 

Time wouldn’t exactly call six in the morning the ‘ass-crack of dawn.’ 

Four sighed, tugging on the splint around his arm. “Yeah, we’re usually like this.” 

What—

Time followed Four’s gaze, staring straight down at the cross-legged Link. 

Ah, signing, right.

Out of the nine heroes, four of them were fluent in sign. Warriors had learned it during his time as a cadet, a necessary form of communication in the Royal Army. Four had learned it from his grandfather, who had learned it in a similar fashion to Warriors. Time and Twilight had both learned it from a young age, due to their lack of verbal communication during childhood. Wild had shown some basic understanding of the language, but Time had never figured out how much he actually knew. 

So he supposed the newest hero made five.

_ “Family?”  _

“You could say that.” Warriors shrugged, still attempting to get his hair to lay to his standards. 

Always with the hair. 

Legend huffed, leaning back against the desk. “Thought you weren’t going to stick around to hear us out. Change your mind?” 

Link shrugged, rotating his hand in a ‘so-so’ motion. He stood, unclipping the slate from his belt to swipe across its screen a few times. Before Time could ask him what he was looking for, an image was shoved into his face. 

Blinking rapidly, Time forced his eyes to focus on the brown picture just an inch from the tip of his nose. He gently pushed the tablet further from his face, the blurry colors taking the shape of a map…

Or, at least that’s what Time assumed it was. 

The image was in motion, small numbers in the bottom left corner ticking up or down every few seconds. A yellow triangle flashed near the top of the screen, just above something labeled Ebon Mountain. 

Time wasn’t exactly sure what he was meant to be doing. 

At his confused expression, Link sighed. Rotating the slate so that it faced both him and Time at the same time, Link pinched his fingers apart. The image shifted, the mountain growing smaller while more of the map flooded the edges of the screen. Link tapped the small triangle, drawing an invisible line on the screen from the shape to the mountain. 

He quickly clipped the slate back on his hip without a word. And once his hands were free, he began to sign once more. 

_ “Go there.”  _

. . . To the mountain? Or the triangle? 

Sky frowned after Four had translated Link’s few words. “Why? What’s over there?” 

Link shrugged, adjusting the face-mask to sit higher up on his nose.  _ “Talk.”  _

“Why do we have to go somewhere to talk?” Hyrule asked, tossing his sleep shirt onto the floor as he pulled his tunic over his head. “What’s special about this place?” 

_ “Pretty.”  _

Time couldn’t hold back the soft snort at Link’s simple reasoning. He was all for going somewhere scenic. 

* * *

He took it back.

If Time had known that Link wanted them all to hike up a mountain at seven in the morning, he would’ve stayed in that inn. But here he was, grabbing onto Wind before he could trip and plummet down the side of a mountain before he had even had breakfast. 

Link stood in front of the group, confidently following the winding footpath. Time was amazed that Link showed no sign of exhaustion, despite running on seemingly no sleep. Time and Wind were close behind him, with the rest of the heroes lagging behind to varying degrees. Four and a very winded Sky made up the rear.

Link paused, turning around to face the heroes with a hand on his hip. If the mask wasn’t there, Time assumed he would be grinning. He waited for Four and Sky to close the small gap that had formed since the last break in their hike nearly ten minutes ago. 

_ “Almost there.”  _

“Oh, thank Hylia,” Sky gasped, leaning forward on his knees. “Just— oh goddess. Just give me a minute.” He managed to wheeze out, muttered prayers interlaced his struggle to regain control of his breathing. 

“Maybe give us a bit of warning before dragging us up a mountain.” Legend gently grabbed onto Sky’s arm, pulling him forward to join the center of the group. 

Hyrule laughed, falling back to keep Four company as the group began their trek once more. “Oh, come on! Surprise hikes are the best, especially in the morning.” 

“Maybe if you’re a sadist,” Four murmered, just barely loud enough for everyone in the group to hear.

“We’ve been through worse,” Warriors shrugged, quickening his step to match Link’s pace. “The sooner we get to the top, the sooner we can all rest.” 

Wind groaned, kicking a rock down the path and watching as it helplessly tumbled down the rocky mountain face. “No offense, but you’re making an awful first impression.”

Link hummed, not even bothering to turn around to sign. 

Time allowed his gaze to wander, tracing the horizon surrounding them. He had to admit, the view from up here was absolutely stunning. The faint remains of the sunrise from behind the hill cast a warm glow onto the sprawling landscape below. Dueling Peaks, which Time had never fully appreciated up until now, stood strong against the horizon. 

Various hills and mountains lay scattered around the land, dotted with faint blue dots. A tower stood tall in Time’s vision, the man-made construction contrasting against the pure wilderness surrounding it. 

Time rounded another bend in the path, turning face to face with the outline of a large, snowy mountain. It was tall, easily the tallest mountain Time had seen thus far. Strange rectangular pillars protruded from the mountain’s peak, leaning inwards as if to craft the point of the mountain. A few stuck out further down, leading Time to believe the mountain hadn’t always been as tall as it was now. With all the strange and advanced technology in this Hyrule, it wouldn’t surprise him if the mountain itself had been artificially constructed. 

Perhaps it housed a civilization deep beneath the snow. A people afraid of the wasteland their home had become, sheltering themselves under the very dirt itself. Or maybe it was some sort of temple of worship. An altar built from pillars at the top, awaits only the most devoted who could commit to the long and perilous journey. 

. . . Or it was simply another oddity of this world. 

For each answer Time was given about this Hyrule and its history, they only led to more questions. But, if Time was being honest, he was much too tired to question anything anymore. 

A tapping on his arm drew his attention to Link, who gradually slowed his steps to a stop.  _ “Here.”  _

Two shallow pools of water sat in the center of the mountain’s top. Small lily pads drifted across the water’s surface, bright pink flowers beginning to bloom on their tops. A jagged line of land separated the two pools, making them look like two halves of a shattered heat. It seemed too perfect to be a coincidence, but who would carve a broken heart into the top of a mountain? 

No, too tired to question it. 

What really drew Time’s attention was the small picnic basket sitting on a folded cloth. The lid was struggling to stay clasped on, food stuffing the basket completely full. 

“I assume that’s yours?” Time asked, nodding his head towards the basket. 

Link shook his head, pointing to the group of heroes behind him and then to the basket.  _ “Breakfast.”  _

* * *

Goddess, how Time missed good food. 

It had been a blessing to unfold the fabric to find small rolls of nut bread and lumps of cheese. There was enough for everyone to have more than enough, which they did. 

Link sat in quiet amusement, watching all of them scarf down the food he had hiked to the top of the mountain earlier that morning. Looking around at the now empty cloth bundles and basket, Time couldn’t help but wish he made more. 

Sure, the food given to them at the stables had been fine, and none of them had died from Hyrule’s cooking yet, but nothing could beat the taste of good cooking. Or, in this case, baking. 

“So you don’t have any memories from before you died?” 

Link shrugged at Four’s question, waving his hand in a so-so motion before quickly signing a response.  _ “Very few.” _

To pass the time, Link had been answering many of the same questions that Time had asked him on the dock. Four had stepped up as the primary translator as the others ate, with Time and Warriors jumping in every so often. 

Wind frowned, kicking his feet in the water. “Do you miss your memories?” 

Link hummed, running his hands along the edge of his cloak to stop his hands from fidgeting. He was uncomfortable, but he shook his head before Time could butt in and say anything.  _ “No.”  _

A complete lie from the answer he had given Time when asked the same question in the dead of night. 

Hyrule seemed to read his mood however, quickly changing the subject. “So, that rectangle thing, it’s sheikah magic?” 

_ “No, science.”  _

“Like the Divine Beasts you talked about?” Hyrule asked, glancing over his shoulder in the direction that one of them sat. 

Link nodded, holding the slate out in front of him and tracing the patterns on the back.  _ “Connected.”  _

Warriors neatly folded the empty fabric besides his lap, his direct eye contact with Link making the newest hero fidgets increase. “Is it connected to the shrines too?” 

Link nodded. 

Legend stared at the horizon. “So all those blue dots are shrines that you activated?” 

_ “Yeah.” _

“How many were there?”

_ “136.” _

. . . Wow, that’s a bit excessive. 

Legend whistled, turning away from the cliff to plop down next to Link. He held out his hand near the slate. “May I?” 

Link hesitated, looking back and forth between Legend and the slate in his hands. After a few seconds of pause, he begrudgingly handed it over. His eyes didn’t leave Legend, his shoulders tense while his hand hovered near the slate, ready to snatch it back at any moment. 

Sky cleared his throat, drawing Link’s attention elsewhere. “You’ve mentioned that the princess is still alive after Ganon’s defeat, but what happened to her?” 

_ “Live together. She’s away on research with Sheikah.”  _

Sky frowned. “And you’re not with her?” 

Link shrugged, sparing a glance back to a confused and frustrated looking Legend.  _ “She’s strong and has—” _

Four paused mid translation, shooting a look to Time. His eyes were wide, his brow creased into a frown. 

Time shook his head, and Four hesitated before continuing. 

_ “Wolf.”  _

It was just a coincidence, nothing more.

Legend handed the slate back to Link with a huff. “I don’t understand anything about that thing. I can’t even read half the words.” 

_ “Sheikah.”  _

“And you can understand it?” Legend’s voice had a hint of curiosity in its tone. 

Link shrugged.  _ “Mostly.”  _

He didn’t mention that it had been ingrained in his mind by the shrine like he had with Time. He knew the bare minimum needed to converse with the corpses hidden deep beneath the entries of the smaller shrines, but nothing more. He knew what was deemed necessary. 

Link turned to address Time for the first time since they had arrived. His head was tilted ever-so-slightly to the side.  _ “Wanted to talk?”  _

Everyone collectively looked to Sky, who groaned. “Why is it always me?” 

“Cause you’re the only one who’s good at explaining it,” Legend snorted. 

Sky sighed after a pause, running his hand through his hair. “It’s . . . Complicated.”

Understatement of the timeline. 

Link was silent, folding his hands into his lap as he looked to Sky for elaboration. 

Legend wasn’t wrong, Sky really was the only one qualified to discuss the whole time travel/dimension hopping they did. Sure, they could manage to explain the basic premise of what was going on and who they all were, but not in a way that wasn’t confusing and/or world-shattering. 

Sky took a deep breath, straightening his back as he exhaled. He was nervous, but he wasn’t going to let that show to the new hero. 

“We’re not from around here.” 

Link surprised them by snorting, he raised his hands to sign before Legend gently pushed them back into his lap. He had tensed under Legend’s hold, but instantly relaxed when the hands were no longer on his own. 

“I mean like,” Sky started before frowning. Time could practically hear the gears in his head turning, trying to find the right thing to say. “We aren’t from this world.” 

Link’s eyes widened, raising his hands to sign once again. Legend reached to stop his hands again, but stopped short as he saw the wonder in Link’s eyes. 

_ “Aliens?”  _

Time choked on his breath, ducking his head as a grin forced its way onto his face. 

Oh, this kid had to meet Malon sometime. 

Sky sputtered, his face turning a slight pink as the others began trying—and failing—to hold back their laughter. “No, we aren’t aliens. For Hylia sake, why’d you instantly come to that conclusion?” 

Link shrugged, the smile in his eyes not gone unnoticed. 

Sky managed to calm himself back down, the pink of his cheeks still visible as he cleared his throat. “All of us here are Hylia’s chosen heroes. We’re from different points in time and space, different branching timelines and different versions of the same land.” 

Link let his hands fall back into his lap lacing his fingers together as he silently stared at Sky. 

“The spirit of the hero is said to be reincarnated time and time again, always there for when the land needs it the most. You hold the hero’s spirit within you, just as we all do.” 

Sky smiled, pushing himself up to stand in front of Link. Link scooted back with a frown as Sky held a hand out in front of him. “We never properly introduced ourselves, so now might be as good of a time as any. 

“I’m Link, the Chosen Hero. But you can call me Sky.” 

Alright, jumping straight to the point this time, weren’t they? 

Link awkwardly shook his hand, glancing between the heroes surrounding him. Sky dropped his hand, gesturing to each of the heroes one by one. 

“This is the Hero of the Wind,” Wind eagerly waved as Sky introduced him, and Link slowly waved back. “The Hero of the Four Sword,” Four nodded, still frowning. “The Hero of Warriors, the Hero of Hyrule, the Hero of Legend,” each of them simply smiled.

“And the Hero of Time,” Time chuckled as Link’s eyes snapped to him, but his eyes held no familiarity of the name. 

Perhaps the tales of him had finally faded away in this land. Good riddance.

“But we all just use nicknames, it’s much easier,” Sky chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Link made no move to interject, so Sky continued. “We arrived in your Hyrule three nights ago, near Riverside Stable. Once we heard word of someone named Link, we figured that we were sent here to find you.

“A little under a year and a half ago, we were all pulled from our own worlds. None of us were ever supposed to meet, but we did.” Sky sighed, dropping his hand from his neck. “There’s something out there, something that’s not just endangering one world, but all of them. We don’t know what it is, but the Goddess has sent us to figure it out.” 

Legend huffed, crossing his arms. “At least, we think it’s the Goddess.” 

Sky bit his lip. “We aren’t sure what exactly is pulling all of us together, but we have a mission regardless. Something’s pulling timelines apart, melting them together, and filling the gaps with darkness.

“You’ve seen it, haven’t you? The black blood?” 

Link nodded, staring at Sky’s hand as he pulled the wrapped sword from his back. Slowly, the brown fabric fell away to reveal the sheath of the Master Sword, and Link’s eyes went wide. He stared at the sword with . . . Time couldn’t really tell how he felt about it; his hood and mask covering nearly all of his face. 

But whatever emotions he was feeling, he definitely wasn’t happy. 

Sky sighed, pulling the sword from its sheath. It pulsed under his touch, and Sky frowned, looking up to Link. The kid had tensed, staring at the pulsing blade like it was all that existed in that moment. 

As quickly as it had started, the pulsing stopped, and Link tore his eyes from the blade. 

“Anyone can kill an infected monster, but only the light of the Master Sword can truly banish the darkness.” Sky continued, shooting glances between the sword and Link. “Without it, the blood seeps into the ground, waiting to infect yet another.” 

Link was taking all this surprisingly well, at least on the outside. Time had no way of knowing what exactly was going through Link’s head as he sat, silently listening to Sky. But he hoped he was just as composed inside as he was out. 

If Link was anything like him though, that wasn’t very likely. 

Time sighed, “Look, I know that this is a lot to dump on you all at once, but we were sent here for a reason. We need you to come with us, to help us save everything.

“We need you to take up one last adventure.” 

Silence. 

Besides from his fidgeting hands, Link was still. He stared at the ground between his crossed legs, breathing shallow and precise. The heroes all stared at Link with anticipation. And as each second of silence passed, Time felt more and more at a loss.

He didn’t know what to do.

Time cleared his throat, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Look, kid. You don’t have to give us an answer now. We can give you some time to—”

“No.” 

Link’s voice was even quieter than the night before, easily covered by the soft splash of the pond yet booming against Time’s ears. 

Legend stared at him in a sad understanding as Hyrule leaned forward with a frown. “What?” 

“No,” his voice cracked as he tried to raise it, hand flying to his throat as he grumbled.

Sky sighed, setting a hand on Link’s arm. “None of us chose to do this, we’re all just pushed and pulled between worlds without our consent. I don’t know if you’ll have a choice in the matter.” 

Legend nodded. “I hate to say it, but if the same higher power that’s dragging us along wants you to come with us, there's not much you can do to change that.” 

“I can’t.” His voice was back to a raspy whisper, barely loud enough for Time to hear. “I can’t leave Zelda again.” 

“Well, you said it yourself, she’s strong.” Warriors flashed him a reassuring smile, but it did nothing to ease the frown on Link’s brow. “We’ve all left someone or something behind, and none of us are happy about it. But we’re doing this for them, if we don’t . . . then everything we know and love will be gone.” 

Time wished that Link had a choice, he really did. But the reality of the situation was that he didn’t. 

Link shook his head, abruptly standing. “I lost everything once. I can’t—” His voice died in his throat with a growl, his hand rested on his neck as he slowly finger-spelled with his free hand.  _ “I can’t lose it again.”  _

“. . . And if you have no say in whether or not you stay or go?” Four stood, locking eyes with Link while his hands shook slightly. “What will you do then?” 

Link shrugged.  _ “Cross bridge when I get there.”  _

* * *

Horse was nice, if a bit feisty. 

She reminded Time of Epona, almost strikingly so. She was well tamed, but she had quite the personality to her. She had practically danced in the stable when Link had made his way over to her. She’d eagerly nudged her head into his chest when he had wrapped his arms around her neck. He’d whispered things into her ear in a language that Time did not know, and she’d chuffed as if in understanding. 

Yet she’d nearly kicked Legend onto his back when he’d approached her. 

It had taken Time nearly ten minutes to get her to warm up to him in the slightest, and another ten for her to allow him to run a hand through her black mane. It was soft and smooth, speaking to extensive care and grooming. 

Link had gone inside his house shortly after they had all returned from the mountain, locking the others out and telling them to keep themselves busy while he took care of some things. Bolson and Karson had visited with them for a while, before leaving to take care of a construction project near the edge of town. 

That left seven bored heroes with nothing but a horse, an apple tree, and a small pond to entertain themselves.

Wind and Warriors were attempting to skip rocks in the limited water they had, while Legend watched them with an unamused expression. Sky and Hyrule were sitting where Bolson and Karson had been, idly chatting to pass the time. 

And Four stood next to Time. He could practically feel Four’s eyes on him, yet Time refused to look.

“Wolf?” 

Time’s hand tightened around Horse’s mane, earning a soft huff from her. He had been hoping Four forgot. 

Time sighed, moving his hand from Horse’s black mane to the dark brown of her hair. “Your guess is as good as mine.” 

Four huffed, holding an apple towards Horse. Her ears perked up immediately, and the apple was quickly devoured. She pressed her black nose into Four’s open palm, huffing softly against his skin. 

. . . One apple and he was her favorite already? Rude. 

“. . . He even sounds like him.” 

No. 

No they weren’t going to entertain that idea. 

Time clenched his jaw, refusing to look at Four. He knew he was being childish, but he couldn’t help it. “I don’t know what you mean.” 

“I— I think you do.” 

“It’s foolish to think like that.” 

Four tsked, trailing his hand up Horse’s snout to rub the strip of white between her eyes. Horse had to lean her head down so he could reach, but her gaze never left Time. 

"It makes sense though. . ." Four muttered under his breath, obviously loud enough for Time to hear. But he ignored it, continuing to brush his hand through Horse's hair.

Four huffed. “Fine, then what’re we going to do about ‘Link?’” Time spared a glance to Four, only to see vibrant green eyes staring back at him. 

Time ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “I don’t know.” 

“He has to realize that he’s most likely coming with us, whether he wants to or not.” 

Time let his fingers tangle in Horse’s mane once again, twisting the strands together loosely before combing through them. “I’m sure he does, but I know where he’s coming from.” 

“It’s childish,” Four huffed. 

“He is a child.” 

“He is a hero.” Four clicked his tongue, and Time watched as Four’s eyes flickered a deep purple from the corner of his vision. “He needs to understand that.” 

“He’s been through a lot, and much of it is stuff completely foreign to us. We need to think about how he—” 

“LINK!” 

Time and Four’s attention both snapped towards the bridge, where a woman tripped over herself, clothes and hair in disarray. Time let go of Horse, rushing forward to help calm the woman. 

When he got to her side, Warriors and Hyrule were already there. Warriors was calming her, trying to get her to even her breathing, while Hyrule quickly checked her for injuries. Wind and Hyrule were at Link’s door, pounding against it. 

“Woah.” Time gently pressed her shoulders back as she tried to stand, resulting in her stumbling forward. “Ma’am, I need you to tell me what’s wrong.” 

“Monsters,” she gasped, her face red and covered in sweat. 

Warriors took her shoulders into his hands, turning her so she was staring straight at him. “I need you to take some deep breaths for me, alright? I’ll guide you.” 

She weakly nodded, taking a shuddering breath as Link’s door slammed open. 

Link rushed towards her as the woman exhaled, Time was roughly shoved out of his way as Link squatted down to look at her. 

“What’s wrong, Ivee?” 

His voice was shaky, he obviously did not want to be speaking right now, but Time supposed that he didn’t have much choice. 

“Monsters on the beach.” Ivee grabbed onto Link’s hands. Time tried not to notice the way his fingers flinched, and how he tensed under her grip. “They’re moving closer to the village.” 

Link quickly nodded, pulling his hands from her grasp with a relieved sigh. “I’ll handle it, it’ll be okay.” 

Ivee sighed, falling limp against Warriors grip as her adrenaline wore off. “Thank you.” 

Link stood, pulling his hood down his face further as he began to make his way to the bridge. 

Legend huffed, adjusting the sword on his back. “Alright, let’s get going.” 

Link whipped around to face them.  _ “Aren’t coming.”  _

Wind snorted. “Uh, yeah, we are.” He flipped open his bag, pulling out a small dagger and sliding it up into his sleeve. 

. . . Time was going to pretend he didn’t see that.

“You don’t have to fight alone,” Sky smiled sadly. “We can help.”

Link held Time’s gaze, as if waiting for him to back down. The kid was stubborn, but so was Time.

Link sighed, bouncing in place with a faint growl.  _ “Fine, Hero of Four stays here.”  _

Four opened his mouth to protest, before glancing down at his broken arm. “Alright.” He nodded, before smiling. “And you can just call me Four, you know.” 

Link ignored his last statement.  _ “Food in cabinets, books on shelf. Don’t break anything.”  _

The seven of them quickly sprinted across the bridge, and Time once again found himself blindly following a silent stranger into the unknown. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, these end notes are gonna be all over the place this time so bear with me. 
> 
> 1\. I must once again thank all of the kind comments I get on this fic! I've had a lot of family things come up recently that have taken their toll on my emotional and mental state, and going back to read the comments I've gotten had really helped me pull through these heavier times. I don't mean to be a downer, and I don't want to bring my personal life into this, but I just want to say thank you from the very bottom of my heart. <3 <3 <3 I love you all 
> 
> 2\. ;0; My secret santa for the LU secret santa gift exchange drew art for this fic!! Spliinkles drew three scenes from the first chapter and I haven't been able to stop gushing about them since they gave them to me! I swear, I was going to be done editing this chapter way earlier than I actually did, but I spent nearly two hours trying to edit but getting distracted by fawning over the art. Like, it's so soft and makes me absolutely MELT! I can't- too much love that I can't articulate into words! So Spliinkles, if you're reading this, thank you and I love them! (Their art is also EXTREMELY cute btw, go check 'em out on tumblr @spliinkles ) 
> 
> 3\. I'm so torn with all the sign language bits! Because the sensible part of my brain tells me to write what Link's saying in proper English grammar so it's easy to understand. And my gremlin brain cell wants REAL asl grammer. But I won't, because if I did the chapters would be 1,000+ more words and Link wouldn't make sense half the time. 
> 
> That was rambley. Sorry 'bout that. But hey, to everyone who actually reads the endnotes... <3 I love you


	8. The Beasts of a Ruined Land

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This chapter has a fight scene with descriptions of violence and injury. I don't think it warrants the archive warning, but I figured I'd let you know incase you want to skip this chapter. If you don't want to read fight scenes, skip to the bottom of the chapter for the important plot stuff <3
> 
> (Also, foul language from Wind during the fight. More than normal)

“So, what’s the plan?” 

“Don’t die.” 

Warriors huffed, quickly brushing the hair from his brow. “Let me rephrase.” He slowed down his sprint to fall back to Time’s side. “What’s our strategy? You know your monsters better than any of us do.” 

Link turned sharply, leaving Time scrambling to follow suit. Time could hear the groans and skids from the heroes behind him as they struggled to keep running. 

Time was amazed by Link’s apparent lack of exhaustion, yet when all he could see was the fluttering back of a cloak, he supposed he didn’t have much to base that assumption on. 

“Hit them until they die.” 

If Time hadn’t been focusing on maintaining his breathing, he would’ve snorted. Link sure did have a way of wording things. 

When he talked, that was. 

Warriors groaned, shooting Time an incredulous look. “That’s not—” 

“Can we please stop running?!” Sky shouted from the back, staggering to keep his footing. Time winced in sympathy, sweat coating Sky’s brow and cheeks flushed red. 

And then Link stopped, and Time crashed into his back. 

“We’re here.” 

Time sighed in relief, feeling his heart pound in his chest as he took in their surroundings. They were on a narrow path that snaked down a cliff’s edge, a vast sandy beach and ocean sat at the bottom of the trail. A small grotto of trees blocked their path downwards, the rush of the waterfall nearly masked by the squeals of the monsters awaiting them. 

The monsters were much more pig-like than anything Time had faced before, their pig snouts and floppy ears visible even from where he stood. Squeals and snorts nearly identical to that of a pig’s rang out against the stone cliff-side, echoing through the otherwise peaceful area. 

They were kind of cute, in a weird, monster-y sort of way. 

Time nudged Link, tilting his head towards the dancing creatures. “What are those?” 

“Bokoblins.” 

Wind perked up at the name, rifling through his bag before pulling his telescope from under his unorganized clutter. He fiddled with the contraption before setting it against his eye, squinting the other one shut. “They’re different colors, what’s that mean?” 

Link raised a hand to his forehead, squinting to peer down at the monsters in Wind’s enhanced vision. “What colors do you see?” 

“There’s a weird white one, two black-ish ones with white markings, a blue one, and four red ones.” 

With a nod, Link lowered his hand, setting it on his hip while he hummed. He was silent for a few seconds, looking between the heroes beside him and the monsters awaiting slaughter below them. 

With a huff he finally spoke, “I’ll take the silver and the reds.” 

Time wasn’t sure what the colors meant, but even without that knowledge he could tell the fight would be uneven. 

He sighed, “Listen, there’s seven of us and nine of them, there’s no reason you should have to take five on at once. All of us are experienced fighters, just tell us some strategies and—” Oh for goddesses sake. “Where are you going?” 

Link had turned away from the group as Time had been talking, starting to trek back the way they had all come. Link paused, turning back to face Time with a huff, both hands on his hips. “I’m taking care of the reds.” 

Legend snorted, “You’re kinda going the wrong way for that.” 

Time’s thoughts exactly. The first step to killing a monster would be heading in the direction of said monster. 

But what did Time know? 

“I know what I’m doing, trust me.” Link was staring straight at Time, his eyes barely visible under the shade of his hood. 

Time really didn’t want to trust him. 

By the goddess, he wanted to say no. He had no reason to trust this new Link. Sure, they had talked and Time had a vague understanding of his story, and Link had treated all of them to breakfast. But Time hated being left in the dark when it came to plans, especially if it could put his boys in danger. 

. . . But Link needed a reason to trust them. He needed a reason to stay with the group and to agree to travel with them. So Time sighed, silently cursing the goddesses. 

“Okay.” 

With a quick nod, the new hero turned back to the trail, starting to begin his journey back before Time reached out a hand, grabbing onto the edge of his cloak. “Wait.” 

Link huffed, turning his head to glance over his shoulder at Time without turning his body. 

“Don’t you think we need a signal of some sort? Something to know that it’s time for us to come assist you?” 

Link shrugged. “I’ll whistle.” 

What were they, dogs? 

Time sighed, “Alright, sounds like a plan.” 

“If you can even call it a plan,” Warriors muttered. Time hoped Link didn’t hear it, and if he did, he certainly didn’t show any reaction to it. 

Link nodded once again before breaking out into a sprint, disappearing from view within seconds. Goddess, he could run fast. 

Warriors sighed, leaning up against the cliff wall while he peered up at the trail Link had raced up. “I don’t like this.” 

“I don’t think any of us do,” Sky chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. 

Hyrule shrugged. “I don’t mind it. I can understand where he’s coming from, he’s never had to work with others before and now we’re forcing him to. I rarely had plans when I went adventuring with just myself, and it took me a long time to understand why we even needed one.” 

Out of all of them, Hyrule probably had more in common with the new hero. If anyone would understand his reasoning, it’d be Hyrule. So, while Time wasn’t a fan of the lack of strategic communication from Link, he could understand why. 

He’d seen it in Hyrule when they’d first met, and he saw it in Link. They were both scared loners in a dangerous world. But just like Hyrule, the walls Link had built up over his journeys could be broken down. 

“I actually like the new hero! He’s mysterious, a shadow in the night with a tragic backstory.” Wind collapsed his telescope, clipping it onto his belt as he hopped onto a rock to peer down at the others from above. “He adds a bit of excitement to the party.” 

Legend huffed. “I think we have all the excitement we need already. We don’t need shady mute-boy adding more chaos to the mix.” 

Warriors ran a hand through his hair, tearing his gaze from the trail. “And we don’t even know much about him. He was awfully vague in his story-telling, all we know is that he has amnesia and really likes horses.” 

“And he’s ignoring the Master Sword.” Sky’s voice softly chimed in, his hand wrapped around the hilt of the sword strapped to his back. “She’s calling out to him, and yet he doesn’t respond.” He turned to Time, a mix of confusion and concern pulling his brow into a frown. “What reason would he have to ignore her?” 

Time could think of many off the top of his head, but he wasn’t sure that any of them applied to Link. Time had his own reasons for his distaste of the sword, but that didn’t mean that Link’s were similar. 

“Only he knows the reason, and it’s not our place to assume anything about him. He’s guarded, but he’ll open up in all due time.” The others deflated slightly at Time’s words as they pushed their suspicions and assumptions about Link down. 

“I mean, we’ve known him for what, two seconds?” Legend snorted. “He trusts us just as much as we trust him, I’m amazed he’s even humored us for this long.” 

Wind hummed, plopping down to sit cross-legged on the rock. “He’s the first hero we’ve met in over a year, so we’ve kinda forgotten how hard it was to open up to each other. Shoot, I nearly stabbed Warriors when I first met him.” 

“True, but I did point a sword at your throat before that.” 

“Eh.” Wind shrugged. “Forgive and forget.” 

* * *

Time groaned, stretching his back and wincing as the joints popped into place. He’d been standing for nearly an hour, and he wasn’t exactly pleased about it. The others had taken to sitting or leaning against something shortly after Link had left them, and Time was tempted to join Hyrule on the grass. 

“Oh, there he is.” 

Time grabbed onto the telescope being pushed his way, placing it to his eye while he surveyed the land for just what Wind had seen. “Where?” 

Wind grabbed onto the head of the telescope, moving it to point towards the waterfall behind the camp of monsters. “He’s on a ledge above the waterfall.” 

“. . . Well I’ll be damned.” 

Link stood perched exactly where Wind said, a narrow cliff overlooking the monsters. Time slowly focused the lens, barely able to make out a small bow in Link’s hands before Wind snatched the telescope back. 

An archer, interesting. 

Warriors pushed off the wall with a grunt. “Alright, be ready to sprint.” 

“What’s with this kid and running?” Sky exasperated. It was blatantly obvious that Link’s stamina was leagues above Sky’s own. 

But then again, they all had more energy than Sky, so that wasn’t anything too surprising. 

Hyrule laughed, “I don’t think you can call him a kid if you guys are practically the same age.” 

“What do you mean? He can’t be any older than sixteen, right?” 

“He’s a hundred and twenty, actually.” Time held back a grin at Sky’s baffled expression. “Twenty if we’re not counting the one hundred years that he was in the shrine for.” 

“That’s still pretty young,” Warriors remarked, fixing the wrinkles in his scarf that had formed while he had leaned against the cliff. “And it’s been a few years since he beat Ganon. He must’ve been what, seventeen, eighteen when he did?” 

Legend shrugged. “We were all too young when we went on our adventures. I’d honestly be more surprised if the newest hero was actually an adult.” 

“Time’s an adult.” Wind hopped off his rock, tucking his telescope in his bag. 

“You know what I mean. Besides, he doesn’t count.” 

Rude. 

A sharp whistle tore through the air, vibrating against the cliff’s edge in three short notes. Six heroes snapped their attention to the cliff, barely able to make out the faint figure on Link and the eight bokoblins staring straight at him. 

Warriors quickly unsheathed his sword, the others quickly following suit. “Goddesses, I hope he knows what he’s doing.” 

Time took a deep breath, closing his eyes while he slowly exhaled. He snapped his eyes open, charging down the steep incline as footsteps thundered behind him. The path flew under his feet, the snarling faces of the monsters becoming clearer with each pounding step. 

Eight pairs of beady red eyes whipped around to face the group charging towards them, losing interest in the whistle from earlier as they snatched crude weapons from the dirt beside them. The beasts let loose a high squeal, gnashing their teeth as they spread out to face the heroes. 

One of the reds screamed, dashing ahead of the others with a club raised over its head. Time skidded to a stop, quickly bracing his shield between his chest and the incoming beast. The weight of the hit never came, replaced by the loud thunk of a body slamming into the dirt. 

The limp body of the red sat at his feet, half of an arrow’s shaft protruding from its ear.

Link stumbled onto the ground beside him, falling to his knees as his labored gasps shook his frame. He shakily raised his hand to his brow, wiping the sweat away from his eyes before standing with a huff. 

Four red bodies laid dead in the dirt, the four remaining bokoblins kicking them to the side as they advanced on the heroes.

“How did you—” 

“Later,” Link wheezed out as he tossed his now shattered bow to the side. A plain sword and wooden shield were ripped from his back, the wood was cracked and the blade was chipping away. They wouldn’t last him the fight. 

Time reached out a hand, attempting to stop Link and have him switch out his gear, but his hand never reached his shoulder. Link slammed his foot into the ground, propelling himself forward at a speed faster than anything Time thought possible. The white bokoblin screamed as the weight of the hero rammed into its snout, his shield pressing into the beast’s face. 

A snarl snapped Time’s attention to his right. His eyes widened as a black bokoblin slowly pushed Wind further from the others and towards the edge of the cliff. It reeled it’s club back, throwing its weight downwards into its attack. Wind grunted, stumbling backwards as he pushed his shield between the spiked wood and his face. 

A loud ‘thunk’ rang out, and Wind’s foot scraped against the rocky edge. 

The bokoblin squealed in what Time thought to be sick delight. A small tongue dripped out of its mouth as Wind winced, blood slowly dripping onto the ground from under his shield. It swung its club again, this time from the side. Wind quickly whipped his shield around to block it, but the free arm of the bokoblin grabbed onto his sword, chucking it onto the ground. 

Time rushed forward, the bokoblin barely had time to turn in surprise as Time’s sword sliced into its side. It screamed, ripping itself off of his blade and turning to Time with death in its eyes. Wind darted around the beast, sliding a dagger from his sleeve and jamming it into the bokoblin’s eye. He skidded to a stop next to Time, the beast crying and fumbling at its face, trying to grab onto the slick blade lodged in his eye. 

The dagger tore from its socket with a scraping sound, slamming into the ground and coating the grass around it in slick black blood. Time glanced down at his sword, gritting his teeth at the black sheen coated onto his blade. 

The beast hissed, clutching at its face as it tried to wipe the ever-flowing blood blocking its vision. Time spared a glance to the others, praying that they all had it under control. 

Sky and Hyrule were taking turns juggling the blue bokoblin back and forth. Sky’s sword collided into the beast’s face, sending it stumbling backwards into a slash from Hyrule. Black blood dripped from their swords, hissing as it splattered onto the nearby trees. It coated a flower bush, the bright pink of the plants quickly rotting away into nothing. 

Warriors and Legend had the other black bokoblin pinned against the cliff's edge. Warriors kept its focus, slightly slashing at it long enough for Legend to dart out of its vision and slam into its side. Red pooled onto the ground, dripping off Legend’s blade and the beast’s chest. Thank the goddesses for that. 

Time quickly glanced around, trying to get a glimpse of Link before a squeal drew his attention back to the one-eyed bokoblin. It grinned, blood seeping from its eye and into its open mouth. 

And Time really didn’t think they were that cute anymore. 

With a snarl, it launched forward, blood soaked hand reaching out to Wind. The younger hero braced, raising his shield with a wince as more blood continued to soak his scrapped arm. 

The hand behind the beast’s back swung around, staggering Time as its club slammed against his side. Jagged and animalistic bones chipped against his armor, his skin underneath burning from the dulled pain. He could practically feel the bruises begin to form. 

He staggered backward, raising his shield to quickly block a second swing from the beast. Wind dashed behind the bokoblin, snatching his sword from where it had been tossed and jabbing it into the back of the beast’s blood slicked neck. It reared back with another blood-curdling scream. 

It snapped around, grabbing onto Wind’s wrist and twisting it sharply. Wind gasped in pain as he was jerked to the side, slamming into the ground with his wrist bent painfully in the bokoblins grasp. Time stepped towards the beast with a snarl, ramming his blade into the creature’s skull as it lowered its face to Wind’s outstretched arm. 

The sword connected, slicing the beast’s ear clean off its skull. 

But not soon enough to stop it from biting into Wind’s arm. 

Wind screamed, jerking out from the bokoblin’s hold as its teeth ripped out of his arm. The beast crashed into the dirt, and Time quickly stood between Wind and the bokoblin. It rose from the dirt with a whine, black blood spilling from the sizable gash in its head and red dripping from its mouth. 

Wind groaned, grabbing onto the back of Time’s tunic to pull himself off the ground. Time helped him steady himself, guilt settling into his gut as Wind’s left arm hung limp at his side. Blood dripped from the four teeth marks in this skin. He reached down to pick up his sword, loosely holding it in his right hand. 

If Time had reacted quicker, Wind wouldn’t be hurt. 

No, now was not the time for a guilt trip. It was in the past, all Time could do now was make sure no one else got hurt. 

“Oh sweet goddess damn it all,” Wind muttered, bringing his right arm up to his mouth. He bit into the straps, tearing them off. He spat out the blood on his tongue, his shield clattering to the ground. “Fuckin’ pig-ass fucker, bitin’ into ma’ arm as if I’m some sorta five star dish. Oh sweet Golden Din damned son of a bitch. I’m gonna rip ‘em a new one and shove my sword up ‘is—” 

“Easy, sailor.” Time held back a snort, shifting his stance to fully block Wind as the bokoblin shook its head. It screamed, it's good eye locking onto Time as it rushed toward, raising its arm above his head. 

It chucked the club, catching Time off-guard. The bone rammed into his neck, scraping against his chain-mail and ripping open his skin. He grimaced, feeling a sudden warmth trickle down his neck and over his armor. It wasn’t a deep cut, but he could feel the torn muscles and sliced veins of his neck scream out. It would scar for sure. 

The bokoblin slammed into him, clawed hands grabbing onto his shoulder plates as the beast desperately tried to rip them off. Its movements were frantic, filled with an urgency and feral nature unlike before. 

It was a beast that knew it was going to die, and it wanted to drag someone down with it. 

Wind yelled, stepping out from behind Time. He swung his sword in a wide and messy arc, slicing through the bokoblin’s arm. The beast fell against Time’s chest as its hand splattered onto the ground, dead fingers resting on Time’s boot. The bokoblin wailed, stumbling away from the two heroes as it clutched its oozing stump of an arm. Wind spat at the beast as Time pushed him back behind his back, steadying him as best he could. 

The beast pitifully whined, shaking the blood from its face. It looked to Time, gnashing its teeth in anger. It took a step back, and then another. It turned away from Time with a shaky step, trying to grab a weapon from one of the fallen reds. 

Footsteps hammered against the ground to their right, and the bokoblin barely had time to squeal in fear as the Master Sword sliced through its neck. The beast’s head went limp, peeling away from its neck and tumbling to the ground. 

“Oh, goddess damn it all.” Wind collapsed onto the ground, leaning against Time’s legs as he rolled up his blood soaked sleeve. 

“Are you both alright?” Sky sheathed the Master Sword, stepping around the fallen body of the bokoblin. Already the black blood began to fade, pooling from the beast in a murky grey and not black. 

Time waved him off, slowly stepping away from Wind so the youngest hero had time to adjust his position. “I’m fine, but Wind’ll need some medical attention. How are the others?” 

“One bokoblin has been slain already, it had black blood as well. The others are still fighting the other black bokoblin, but no one is severely injured.” 

The others flowed together as if it were natural, playing to each other's strengths and weaknesses as they beat down the beast. Warriors parried a swing from the beast, splintering its club in half. It stumbled back, stunned, right into a wide swing from Hyrule. 

Legend’s sword impaled its chest from the side, and the beast crumpled to the ground. Warriors shot Time a quick thumbs up as he realized Time was watching, and Time’s chest swelled with pride. 

Yeah, those were his boys. 

. . . Wait a second. 

Time paled, quickly looking around the small grotto. “Where’s Link?” 

Sky froze, snapping his gaze to the trees. He unsheathed the sword once again, twisting around to face the grotto. 

As if on cue, a tattered hood jumped out from behind a large tree, a thick, bone encased club just inches from Link’s face. Time cursed, rushing forward to help; Sky echoed his movements, running just a few steps behind him. 

Link backed up, and the white hobbled out from behind the tree. It looked worse for wear, black blood caked its eyelids and arms, deep gashes covered its chest. The cuts convulsed with each breath, shuddering open and close and with wheeze. It slammed its foot forward to keep its balance, letting a guttural growl bounce against the stone cliffs. 

It was weak, struggling to stand as its weight shifted from foot to foot. But it wasn’t anywhere close to death. 

Link was, however. 

His small frame shook as he gasped for air, the hollow wheeze of his lungs louder than even the beast’s snarls. His cloak was torn in half, the bottom hem nailed to a tree by the splintered remains of his bow. Long strands of hair hung down his back, tangled and coated in his own blood. Blood seeped through his blue tunic, and in the large tears in the fabric Time could see a darker fabric underneath, soaked completely in blood. 

His sword was snapped in two, the blade abandoned on a rock near the pond, and the hilt tightly gripped in his right hand. 

Link took a shaky step back, and the bokoblin screamed. It rushed towards him, ramming the club into his chest and sending him stumbling backwards. He pushed himself off the ground quickly, glancing down at the drop directly behind him. His heels scraped against the edge of the cliff, taunting the drop. 

Time felt himself yell something as the beast rushed Link once again, and his heart dropped as Link grabbed onto the beast's arms. Link flung the bokoblin backwards, using his weight to pull it off the cliff. 

Sending both tattered bodies plummeting down to the sand below. 

“KID!” 

Time felt someone pull him back, and with a start he realized he was nearly about to throw himself over the cliff as well. He pulled away from Sky’s hand, frantically scanning the beach below. Time turned, noticing the path to his right that sloped downwards, the trail to the beach below them. 

The beach Link had just crashed into. 

Without hesitation he darted away from the others, racing down the path without truly registering the road under his feet. His foot hit the sand, and he nearly fell forward. He quickly righted himself, scanning the beach in search of two battered bodies. 

The bokoblin laid crumbled in a pile, it’s limbs snapped and its head lolled backwards. The sand bled black under its body. Yet Link was nowhere to be se—

A weight slammed against Time, sending him crashing into the sand. 

His eyes widened at the limp form of Link pressed against his side, a strange contraption discarded beside them. Time quickly sat up, grabbing onto Link and pulling him close to his chest. 

“Hey, kid. You awake?” Time gently shook the crumpled form in his arms, earning a strained groan in response. 

Oh thank the goddesses. 

Time chuckled, pressed his forehead against the back of Link’s head. “Gave me a scare, kid.” 

Link hummed, weakly trying to push Time away from him. Time frowned, why was he trying to— 

Oh.

Time quickly let go of Link, his heart hammering in his chest. This was a stranger, not one of his boys. “Sorry.” 

Link exhaled softly, shaking his head as he attempted to push off from Time’s chest. He failed, falling limply against Time once again. “Help?” 

Time snorted, gently holding onto Link’s arms as he stood up, guiding Link to his feet as he did. He bent down, wrapping one of Link’s arms over his neck. A dark blue fabric peaked out from under his shirt, and Time frowned. 

“Are you wearing two sets of armor?” 

Link nodded, his head resting on Time’s shoulder. “Stealth armor underneath regular, suppressing any noise I make.” He vaguely gestured to the cloth mask covering the bottom half of his face. 

“And why are you wearing it?” 

Link shrugged. “Get away from you lot if I need to without hurting ‘ya.” 

Time snorted, “You were going to try sneaking away from us?” 

“Only if I needed to.” 

By the goddesses, this kid would be the death of him. 

* * *

“You were so fast with the bow!” Wind threw his arm out in exaggeration, nearly toppling Hyrule over in the process. He was leaning against Hyrule’s side, their arms wrapped around each other to keep Wind from falling over. “I didn’t even see you move! One second they’re all charging us, and then BAM! Half of them are dead!”

Link chuckled, his head leaned against Time’s shoulder as Time and Warriors hoisted him up the road. “I’ve had lots of practice.”

Legend snorted, “Bull, there was some sort of magic at play there. What was it, super speed?” 

“More like slowing down time.” Link shrugged to the best of his ability, wincing slightly. “Zelda calls it my focus.” 

“That’s pretty useful,” Warriors hummed, adjusting his arm to better support Link. “I could see that saving your skin many times.” 

“I guess, it’s got its limitations. It drains me the longer I use it, my max is only a few seconds.” 

Time smiled, watching as Link casually engaged with the others. His words weren’t choppy, and not once did he default back to signing. 

All it took was a fight to the death and plummeting off a cliff to get him to open up.

Despite the collective worry and anger directed at Link for being so careless, he couldn’t seem to get the concept of self-preservation through his thick skull. He was seemingly fine with purposefully throwing himself off a cliff, his excuse being that he had his ‘paraglider’ to stop his fall. 

It still didn’t excuse the fact that he had intentionally jumped off a cliff, but Time decided to let him off easy. 

. . . At least until he was patched up. 

“So, to your home I’m guessing?” Time nudged Link’s head off his shoulder, earning a huff. 

“Yeah, I have some first-aid equipment and spare potions in a cupboard.” 

Sky frowned. “You don’t keep that kind of stuff in the slate?” 

“I try to, but I keep forgetting to restock my supply. I ran out yesterday.” 

Link squirmed, looking around at the heroes surrounding him. “You guys are really coo—” He coughed, Time could practically feel the heat radiating from his cheeks. “Good. You guys are really good at fighting.” 

Time laughed, “You’re not too bad yourself, kid.”

Link shook his head, “No, not like you guys. You’re the real deal, real heroes. Right out of the story books. Which . . . I guess you guys are, aren’t you?”

Legend groaned, “Goddesses, don’t remind me.” 

The group slowly made their way back to Hateno, the large building at the top of the hill catching Time’s attention for the first time since arriving in Hateno. He held back his questions, instead turning his attention back to the road and carrying Link. 

The townsfolk all fretted over them in a hush as they made their way through the town. Ivee rushed up to Link with a handful of wheat, thanking him profusely as one of the other heroes took the ‘reward’ from her. Link quietly nodded along to her words, ever silent as the townsfolk watched on. 

A few small heads poked out from between their parent’s legs, awe and wonder painted across their faces as they looked at the swords and shields strapped to the large group of strangers. Sky shyly waved to them, and they ducked back behind their parents with a giggle. 

“You’re pretty popular around here,” Warriors laughed, winking at two older women as he passed. Time rolled his eyes as they practically melted, frantically whispering between each other while staring at Warriors. 

Link shrugged. “Everyone ‘round here is like my family. They practically raised me, especially Bolson and Ivee’s father, Pruce.” 

“Do they know about your past?” Wind whispered. 

“No,” Link stated sharply. “They don’t need to.” 

The group rounded the corner through town, the bridge looming ahead of them. Bolson and Karson were still nowhere to be seen, off at the small construction job near the Mayor’s house. The wood creaked and moaned under the shuffle of heroes, giving one last cry as Time stepped off the bridge. 

“I should have some spare fairy tonics we can use,” Link pushed off from Time and Warriors, stumbling as he grabbed for the door frame. After a bit of effort, he swung the door open, stumbling inside and motioning for the others to follow.

It was just as cute and homey inside as it was out.

A small table stood in the center of the entrance, fully set and waiting for two people to sit down and have a nice meal. Cabinets and countertops lined the far left wall, filled to the brim with various cooking ingredients and utensils. A few weapon racks hung on the opposite wall from the cabinets, each of varying sizes and makes.

They looked pristine, as if they had never been used before.

And sitting at the small table were three sets of eyes, staring widely at the heroes in the doorway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a really rough week, so I wasn't sure if this chapter was going to get finished on time. But I'm glad it did, working on editing this really helped put my mind in a better place 
> 
> I made two notes to myself as I wrote this, so please enjoy: 
> 
>   
Goddesses above, this family is a fuckin’ wreck. Hylia take the wheel, Time’s done with this bullshit.
> 
> I went to type ‘off’ and instead I typed ‘ass’ and if that doesn’t accurately describe how this week’s gone, I don’t know what will. They’re… They’re not even close to each other on the keyboard… How did I...
> 
> (Thank you for the kind comments once again <3 I really appreciate them)
> 
> (ps. This chapter was edited on half a braincell, so please don't hesitate to point out any errors you notice so that I may correct them, thank you <3)


	9. An Unexpected Reunion

It felt as if the very world itself had come to a complete stop. Time could feel his heart slamming against his chest, each beat seemingly ticking a non-existent second. There was no movement aside from the gentle sway of the trees outside, no sound save for the light taps of a beginning storm against the grass Time stood on. 

Time barely noticed the very air around him, his gaze fixed on a single figure sitting at the homely table in the quaint house on the edge of an unknown town. 

Twilight grinned, and Time felt the world start back up again. 

The wooden chair scraped against the floor as Twilight stood, his eyes not leaving the group of heroes clustered outside the doorway. He strode forward, closing the distance between himself and Link. 

He leaned his head around Link to look at the others. “One minute,” he quickly mouthed, holding up a finger to pause the heroes from swarming him. Time awkwardly nodded, not quite sure what Twilight meant by that, but he didn’t have much time to ponder it once Twilight nodded, turning his attention to Link. 

Twilight grabbed onto the sides of Link’s face, leaning down to press their foreheads together. ‘Oh thank the goddesses, you’re okay.” 

Not quite what Time was expecting. 

Link huffed, pushing Twilight’s hands off his face. He twisted his way around Twilight, reaching back to undo the baldric around his chest before freezing, staring at the woman standing at the table near Four. 

Her blonde bob-cut bounced as she shifted feet, her hands on her hips. “You better have a good explanation for not coming back to help with research like you said you would.”

Link flinched back, raising his hands as if to speak before she cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Because you said your visit to Kass and his family was only going to take you a week. And, how long, exactly, has it been since you left?” 

Link looked down at the floor, shuffling his feet. “A month.”

“And what  _ exactly  _ were you doing during that month of absence?” She leaned forward. “Because you couldn’t have possibly been with Kass and his family for all that time. He says that you only stayed with them for a day before leaving, afterall.” 

“. . . I was killing monsters.” 

“And what,” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, “did I tell you NOT to do when you left?” 

“To not hunt monsters by myself.” 

Twilight huffed, “No, I think her exact words were, don’t be an idiot and try to single-handedly clear the roads during the upcoming blood moon.” 

Link shrugged, and the woman groaned, turning back to Four with an exasperated gesture towards Link. “See what we were talking about?” 

Twilight frowned, looking down at Link. “We were worried sick, you know.”

“I can take care of myself,” Link muttered, refusing to meet Twilight’s eyes. 

“But you don’t!” The woman threw her arms in the air, startling Four. “I mean, look at you right now.” 

Time had to admit, Link looked like he had knocked on death’s door and received a warm invitation inside. His hood was coated in both red and black blood, his hair sticking together in dirty clumps against his torn tunic. The stealth armor underneath was nearly red instead of blue, and he swayed where he stood. 

Granted, none of them looked particularly great after that fight, but Link was by far the worst off.

“Just . . .” The woman sighed, crossing her arms. “Don’t disappear on us without saying anything, I was scared we wouldn’t find you again.” 

Link reached a hand under his hood, scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry, I meant to tell you and I just—”

The woman snorted, shaking her head. “But you got sidetracked and it slipped your mind?”

Link ducked his head down further, earning a snort from Twilight. Time had a sneaking suspicion that they had this conversation a lot. 

Time felt as though he were intruding, his heart swelling and the near family-like dynamic between Link, his protege, and the woman. The air itself felt different, cozy and warm, like a hug. It reminded Time of the warm feeling he felt around Malon, how distinctly like home she felt. 

These three were much the same. 

The woman stood, joining Link as he stumbled towards the cabinets and chest lining the left wall of the house. They chatted quietly between themselves, too quietly for Time to make out anything they were saying. 

Besides, he wasn’t going to pry. 

Twilight grinned, turning back to face Time and the others. “Well, long time no see.” 

Before anyone could say anything, Wind broke out of Hyrule’s hold, rushing towards Twilight with a laugh. He tightly wrapped his good arm around Twilight, a huge grin lighting up his scratched and bruised face.

The others followed suit, Sky wrapping Twilight and Wind both in a tight hug while the others filtered inside. Time slowly shut the door behind the last of the heroes, the wood creaking on its hinges.

Twilight looked older, that was the first thing Time really noticed. He had grown his hair out a bit, just an inch or two longer than normal but enough to give him a bit of a shaggy look. He had a new scar, tracing down from his left cheekbone all the way to his neck, it wasn’t recent if the faded color was anything to go by. He even sounded older, not as in his voice was deeper or anything, but he sounded more sure of himself. More mature in a way.

Time stepped around the heroes latched onto Twilight’s side to stand behind his protege. He chuckled, ruffling Twilight’s hair. “So, he finally returns.”

Twilight snorted, “Oh it’s been what, an hour for you guys since I left?”

“Try a week.” Legend leaned against the door frame, smiling from ear to ear. It was the happiest Time had seen him in a long time.

Warriors hit Twilight’s arm while he was incapacitated by Wind and Sky with no hope of retaliation. “How long ago was it for you?”

“Just over three and a half years. Closer to four years, actually.”

Warriors grinned. “I thought you looked older.”

Twilight chuckled, gently pulling away from Sky and Wind. “I’m older than you now.”

“Doesn’t count,” Warriors smirked, crossing his arms. “I’m older than you in spirit.”

Time caught sight of Four out of the corner of his eye, and his smile slowly faded. He was sitting alone at the table, head cupped in his arms and eyes bloodshot. He glanced up, noticing Time looking at him. He seemed to crumble into himself further, shooting Time a wobbly and extremely forced smile. 

What had him so down? 

The others seemed to take notice as well, turning towards their silent companion with looks of concern and confusion. Time sighed, making his way over to the table to join Four. He needed to see what was wrong. 

But before he could, Four stood up. He stared blankly at the floor, slowly shuffling his way over to Wild and the woman in the corner. He glanced up to the confused Link, before wrapping his arms around Link’s middle and pressed his face into Link’s blood and mud soaked tunic. 

Link was frozen, staring down at Four with shallow breaths. The woman said nothing, looking as if she was on the verge of tears as she glanced away. 

Twilight bit his lip, staring at Four and Link with . . . something. But it was gone before Time could question it. Twilight cleared his throat, and Four’s arms fell limp at his sides immediately. The woman sighed, making eye contact with Twilight. Time could only watch the silent conversation being held between them, complete with subtle shakes and nods of their heads. 

Finally, Twilight spoke. “Hey, Cub? Why don’t you and Zelda step outside for a minute.”

Link turned to Twilight, shoulders still tense from Four’s hug. “Why?”

Zelda gently grabbed onto Link arm with a soft smile. “We need to talk.”

“About what?”

Zelda pursed her lips, tightening her fist in Link’s shirt. “It’s important, please.”

Time could practically feel the urgentness in her voice, the desperation dripping off each word. She needed to talk about something, and it was urgent.

Link finally sighed, “Alright.”

Zelda smiled in relief, tugging Link towards the door and away from the gathering of confused heroes in their kitchen. Link shot them one last look before the door creaked closed behind them, leaving eight heroes in a completely silent house.

No one made any move to speak, instead just sharing confused and concerned glances. Time stepped toward Four, putting a hand on his shoulder and pulling him to lean against his legs. Four instantly leaned into the touch, taking a shaky sigh before burying his face into Time’s side.

“Why are you here, Twi?” Time tilted his head towards Hyrule, who was staring at Four in concern. The brunette shifted his view to Twilight, brow creasing. “And how do you know Link?”

Twilight exhaled loudly, brushing his bangs back and resting his hand on the top of his head. “That’s a long story.”

“We have time,” Legend remarked, his earlier happiness replaced with a deep-rooted fear poorly masked as concern.

Twilight looked around at the others, before plopping back down into the wooden chair at the table. “You’re going to want to sit down, this is gonna take a while.”

So they got comfortable. There hadn’t been much arguing about who got to sit in the actual chairs, as everyone practically shoved Wind into the remaining one. Twilight dug through all the chests and drawers, helping them bandage up before claiming his seat in a sigh. 

The others were sprawled throughout the house, making themselves as comfortable as possible on the bottom floor. 

“So, how long have you been in this Hyrule?” Wind asked, cupping his head in his hands while his elbows rested on the table. His entire left arm was wrapped in bandages, but the small amount of potion he had been given had already restored some healing and strength into it. Not much, but just enough that his arm wouldn’t collapse under the weight of his head.

“Ever since I left you guys.”

Time frowned, so Twilight had been called to this new Hyrule before any of them. But why? What purpose did he have coming to an unknown world nearly four years before any of the others? And the Calamity hadn’t even been defeated at that point, so Twilight was brought to the new Hyrule while it was still in peril.

Hyrule sat on the floor next to Four, his hand resting on Four’s shoulder. He turned to Twilight. “What were you doing during all that time?”

Time swore he could see the hesitation in Twilight’s eyes. He didn’t want to be talking about this, he was uncomfortable and it was apparent. “Taking care of Link.”

Legend snorted, a poor attempt to lighten the mood. “You had to ‘take care’ of him? Were you some sort of babysitter?”

Twilight huffed, his eyes empty of any irritance. “How much did Link tell you about himself?”

“He told us about his amnesia, and his one hundred year rest,” Time answered, lacing his fingers in his lap. “But not much else.”

“Oh!” Sky sat up from where he practically laid on the stairs, sitting criss-cross on a stair near the center. “He told us about his Zelda, and how most of his memories surround her.”

Twilight nodded slowly, holding his chin in his hand. “Well, Legend wasn’t far off when he said I was Link’s babysitter.”

“Pfft, really?” Legend bit back a laugh, staring at Twilight with an amused grin.

“He didn’t just lose some of his memories when he woke up, he lost them all. That meant he didn’t know anything. He couldn’t speak, and he didn’t understand words spoken to him. I had to teach him from the ground up.” Twilight hollowly laughed. “So in a way, I kinda raised him.”

Time reached across the table, patting the hand that Twilight had resting on the wooden surface. “I’m sorry we weren’t there for you. It must’ve been hard on your own.” 

Twilight shrugged, pulling his hand into his lap. “It wasn’t too bad. Link had a lot of things that he caught onto rather quickly, he just needed a little push in the right direction for some of his basic memories to resurface.”

“You two must be rather close,” Warriors mused, sorting through one of Link’s cabinets.

“Yeah, I’d say we’re pretty close,” Twilight hummed. “I certainly know him better than I know any of you.”

Hyrule laughed, “Looks like we know who Twi’s favorite is.”

“. . . You should show them the picture.” Everyone turned to look at Four as he softly spoke.

Four had been silent up until that point, opting to stare either at his hands or at Twilight. Everyone in the room had been trying to avoid making eye contact with him, sensing how fragile he was in the moment. Time certainly wanted to comfort him and find out what was wrong, but he didn’t want to risk sending Four crumpling into himself again.

“What picture?” Hyrule looked between Twilight and Four, not sure what exactly they were talking about.

Time himself was curious, wondering what kind of weight that picture could carry. Was it the reason that Four was so out of it, trapped inside his own mind?

Twilight bit his lip, a newer habit that Time had never noticed him doing before, but it had been a constant fidget ever since they got to Link’s house. “Yeah, I can go get it.”

“Where is it?” Wind glanced around the room, eyeing several small pictures dotting the walls. 

“Upstairs.”

“I can grab it,” Sky offered, already pushing himself up to stand. “I’m closest, afterall.” 

Twilight winced. “I really don’t think—” 

Sky had already turned away from the group to quickly climb the remaining steps. “You’ll have to tell me what it looks like, though.” His footsteps creaked the floorboards above them, and Time could just see Sky’s head disappear from his view. “Since I’m not exactly sure what I’m look--

“. . . Oh.”

Twilight deflated at Sky’s silence, staring down at the table while he supported his head in his hand. Four still refused to look up, his knuckles pale and shaking. The air in the room felt thin, like each breath was a desperate, struggling gasp. Time shared a confused glance with Legend, a pit slowly growing in his gut.

Without a word Legend pushed himself off the wall, softly walking up the stairs to join Sky. Time’s view of him disappeared the same moment Legend inhaled sharply.

The room was still, anticipation and confusion gnawing away at Time’s chest. He wanted to know what had silenced everyone, but he feared it more than anything. Legend’s soft chuckle chilled Time to the bone, so many emotions dripping from a single sound. It was watery, as if he was desperately holding back the tears from his voice.

“Well, fuck.”

The heroes were frozen, staring at Legend as he crept down the staircase, large frame in hand. Sky hadn’t come down, still upstairs and silent. Legend stood in front of the table, and Time and Warriors didn’t hesitate to quickly clear the plates and flowers off its surface. With a shaky laugh, he set the frame down on the table.

Time felt his heart stop.

He could feel the commotion of the others around him, surrounding the table in a silent horror. His fingers rested on the smooth frame, numb under his touch. He could faintly make out the murmuring voices around him, nearly frantic.

But Time couldn’t truly hear it. He couldn’t hear what Legend was muttering next to him, couldn’t hear the quiet mourning in everyone’s voices, or the shuddering breaths of Wind next to him. He couldn’t see or comprehend anything but the picture and the face staring back at him.

Wild’s face, to be more specific.

He was older than Time had last seen him, but just barely, perhaps by a year or so. He was ever so slightly taller too, just enough to be noticeable. A look of surprise plastered his features, framed by hair longer than what Time had remembered. A light blue tunic replaced the dark blue one he had worn when traveling with the group.

It was the same blue tunic that their mystery Link wore.

Twilight cleared his throat, pulling Time’s attention away from the picture at last. “I—” Twilight bit his lip, looking down to avoid eye contact with the five heroes currently staring at him with pure and utter grief in their eyes. “That’s a picture of Wild from before the Calamity.”

The air shattered.

Time knew, and he hated that it took him so long to admit it. He ignored the signs, the weird coincidences in favor of brushing them aside. He knew in his heart that Link was Wild, he was just too scared to admit it.

That’s all it really came down to, fear.

The fear of realizing Time had been forgotten yet again. The fear that his kid, the one he had promised to protect, had been hurt beyond repair. He had failed, and he couldn’t take it back.

“He doesn’t remember us.” Time turned to look at Wind, feeling his heart drop at the tears building in the corners of Wind’s eyes.

The silence in the room tore at Time’s heart, ripping it to pieces the longer he looked around. Sky was still upstairs, isolating himself from the others. Legend had wrapped his arm around Wind, pulling him against his chest as he looked at the picture in a silent mourning. Warriors was still, face void of any emotions while his fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into his palm.

Twilight shook his head. “No, he doesn’t.”

That didn’t bother Time as much as he thought it would. Of course it stung, the pain of being forgotten. In a sense, the kid he had known was gone, replaced by someone simply wearing his face. But he had been forgotten before, by an entire kingdom of people, infact. They were still the same people on the inside, however, regardless of the memories they had.

Something else bothered Time much more, making his skin crawl and chest hurt when he thought about it.

“Wild died,” Hyrule whispered, hand clamped around his mouth. He was standing near Four, peering at the picture from a short distance away.

“Yeah.” Twilight ran a hand through his hair, looking up at the heroes clustered around him with an expression of pure and utter remorse. It was a look that no one should ever have, speaking to a deep and painful agony buried within, clawing its way to the surface. “A hundred years ago.”

Legend clutched Wind tighter as the youngest shook slightly, he pointed a finger towards the photo. “Who are the other people in the picture?”

“The Champions of Hyrule,” Twilight answered. “They’re the ones who piloted the Divine Beasts.”

Wind tore his face from Legend’s chest, looking at the picture with watery eyes. Another hylian, which Time recognized as Zelda, had a surprised expression to match Wild’s, leaning into Wild’s chest. What Time assumed was a zora looked as if she was falling forward, a bird-like person mimicking her stance. A gerudo woman stood unfazed, a smirk on her face as the large goron orchestrated the chaos. His hands were clasped on either side on the frame, shoving the group together at apparently the last second.

They looked happy.

Wind reached out a hand, pointing it towards the red zora with a sad smile. “That’s Mipha, isn’t it?”

Twilight nodded.

“Does Wild at least remember her?”

“. . . Barely.”

Warriors turned to Twilight, concern knitting his brow ever so slightly. “What does he remember, exactly? Anything at all?”

“He’s remembered a few things,” Twilight sighed. “Most of the memories he’s recovered are related to his time with Zelda as her knight.”

“What about his family?” Time asked, fear of Twilight’s answer slamming against his throat.

Twilight shook his head, and no one spoke anymore.

They all sat in silence for seemingly hours, someone looking as if they were going to say something before they snuffed it out, looking down in silence utterly defeated.

Time blamed himself for Wild. He shouldn’t have been okay with him leaving them on his own. Time should’ve prepared him more, he knew what sorts of things a hero would need to be ready for. So why didn’t he take more time to prepare Wild? He assumed that he would be fine, that he was strong enough to save an entire world.

He failed his kid.

The door slowly opened, everyone’s head turning to stare at the disheveled Zelda in the doorway. She smiled sadly, pulling Wild’s hood off herself and hanging it on the small coat hanger near the door. Water gently dripped off the torn and tattered hood, the blood nearly washed away. Time could see the rain pouring down outside before Zelda shut the door.

Wild wasn’t with her.

She turned towards the kitchen, shooting a sorrowful glance at the shocked heroes crowded around her table. She slammed a cabinet open, pulling small mugs out one-by-one and setting them on the counter in a row. “What kind of tea would you all like?”

Warriors held up his hands, opening his mouth to speak before Zelda swung around to face them all, wooden spoon in hand. “And don’t say that you don’t want tea. We all need it, whether or not we actually want it.”

The heroes were silent, glancing between each other in amusement. When they made no objections Zelda hummed, twirling back around to face the cabinet of tea. “Since no one is stepping forward with their preferences, it looks like I’ll just have to surprise you all.” She tilted her head back, straining to look at the heroes over her shoulder while she lifted a small chest from the cabinets. “Are any of you allergic to silent princesses by any chance?”

“What are those?”

Zelda froze, staring at Wind as he flinched back under her gaze. Her shock turned into a soft smile as she snapped the lid of the chest open, turning towards Wind with her hands cupped around something. Slowly, she opened her hands, a gently glowing flower resting delicately in her palms.

Time leaned towards an awestruck Wind, trying to get a good look at the unknown flower. The petals were a soft white, gently bent upwards against Zelda’s outstretched palms. The center of the flower was a deep blue, shimmering with a gentle glow that pooled out from between Zelda’s fingers. It was mesmerizing, gentle wisps of light dancing around in the air before snuffing out like embers of a fire.

Zelda grinned, gently placing the flower in Wind’s hands before turning back to the counter, snatching an empty kettle from its stand. “That is a silent princess, a very rare flower that just so happens to make a wonderful tea.” She turned back to them once more, shoving the empty kettle into Warriors’ surprised hands. “Can you go get some water from outside? There’s a well out back. I would do it myself, but I really would like to talk with—”

He laughed awkwardly, running his fingers against the basket-weave pattern in the metal. “It’s no problem, Princess. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Warriors stood in the doorway, swinging it open at the exact moment a bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, slamming into the mountain behind them.

“Ah.” Zelda tugged the pot from Warriors hands, shoving a woven basket into them instead. “Let’s not have you be electrocuted today.”

Time had never seen Warriors look so pale.

* * *

Zelda leaned forward, eyes alight in pure fascination as Sky awkwardly leaned back. Her pencil was in her hands, papers and journals sprawled out across the small table. “So the connection between a rider and their loftwing is predestined at birth? Are there any hereditary elements that may affect the connection between the person and their bird?”

Sky shuffled. “Well, I know that my friend Pipit’s loftwing is the child of his dad’s loftwing. But that’s the only instance of family coming into play that I know of.”

Without another word Zelda’s nose was buried in her notebooks again, furiously scribbling things down. She followed a pattern when it came to talking to the heroes. It would start out as a normal conversation, she would try to ask them questions to get to know them better and such. Then she would move onto hero related questions, asking about their journeys and the exact year they hailed from.

That soon devolved into her wanting to know each and every tiny detail about their worlds, down to what elements their soil was composed of. She had asked a soaked Warriors that question, and he had sat in baffled silence for nearly ten minutes after that.

Twilight had warned them about her incessant questioning shortly after she had started talking to Wind, but none of them truly heeded his warning. He now sat on the floor with Four, greatly entertained by the pain the others were experiencing.

Time absently swirled his cup in his hands, watching the shimmering tea slosh lazily around in circles. It was sweeter than Time expected, reminding Time vaguely of the small sugar candies they used to pass out during festivals in Castle Town, albeit the tea wasn’t nearly as teethrottingly sweet as those were. It had a bit of a refreshing zing to it, like the first gulp of water after spending a whole day trudging through the desert.

It sparkled, which had thrown Time off when Zelda had first handed him his cup. The liquid was nearly transparent, like she had simply poured hot water into a cup and handed it to him. But a blue shimmer danced through the water, glowing in the dark when Time cupped his hand over the top of the mug.

He’d have to see if he could take a flower or two back home, Malon would love them.

Sky sighed, setting his cup of tea down. “Hey Zelda, may I ask you something?”

The pencil paused mid scribble, Zelda’s eyes peering over the top of her book. “Of course, what is it you want to ask me?”

“Where is the Master Sword?”

She set the journal down, a rough sketch of Sky’s face staring up from the pages. “It’s in its pedestal, where it belongs.”

Sky glanced down at the book, cheeks blushing slightly as he averted his eyes from the portrait of himself. “Did something happen between Wi— Link and the Master Sword by any chance?”

Zelda frowned. “I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that. Link used the sword to defeat Ganon and then a few days later he put it back. He has no use for it anymore.”

“He’s ignoring her calls.” Sky gently brushed his hand across the handle of the sword, resting against his leg. “He’s completely blocked her from his mind.”

“Maybe she shouldn’t try to force her way into his mind to begin with,” Zelda huffed, staring at the sword before picking the book and pencil back up.

Time had a feeling that there was more behind Wild’s refusal of the sword, but he found it rude to pry. Not when everyone was so . . . tense.

“Where is he, by the way?” Hyrule was pressed against the window upstairs, having decided to stay up there to watch the storm after he had re-hung the picture on Wild’s wall.

Zelda hummed, licking the tip of her thumb before turning the page. “He needed a moment to himself. Although, it’s been a while since I left him out there, he’s going to catch a cold without his hood.” She glanced up to Hyrule, frowning at the storm still raging outside. She stood, the chair screeching against the floorboards. “Maybe I should—”

Time stood just as quickly, holding out a hand towards Zelda. “I can, you stay here with the others.”

She frowned, glancing to Twilight, who shrugged. “I’m not sure if that’s the best idea.”

“I want to talk to him.”

She stared down at his book, before letting out a long sigh. “. . . Alright.”

Twilight stood, blocking Time’s exit as he made his way to the door. “His memory is fragile, please don’t overwhelm him.”

Time gently patted Twilight’s arm, effectively pushing him out of the doorway so he could leave. The rain gently dripped from the small, ivy covering above him. “Don’t worry, I just want to see if he’s okay.”

He shot one last look over his shoulder as Twilight closed the door. Time exhaled, staring up at the storming clouds before shaking his head.

He could do this, he just needed to talk to the kid. 

Time knew how to talk to kids, he would be fine. 

. . . Oh goddesses, he prayed he wouldn’t mess this up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a smidge late, but I was really struggling with this chapter as a whole. It's kinda of what this story has been leading up to, and I wanted to make sure I get the right tone across. If the heroes don't seem like they're immediately DEVASTATED by this revelation, don't worry. Grief doesn't always hit you right away, it's often times a slow building silence that decides to lash out at random intervals. For some of the heroes, they may react later down the road, and some may forever stay silent about their pain. Sadness is different for everyone. 
> 
> Alright, once again thank you to all the lovely comments you leave on this fic! It truly warms my heart each time a read them, or re-read them, or re-re-read them (you get the point). 
> 
> And for anyone who happened to miss it, I published a side fic to this one about Twilight and Wild. It takes place in-between when Twi left in Chapter 2, and when the heroes landed in Wild's Hyrule in Chapter 3. It's not necessary to understand anything moving forward in this fic, so don't feel as though you have to read it to understand what's going on <3 It's just an excuse for me to write some feral Wild and tired Twi. 
> 
> (Again, feel free to point out any errors in this chapter, I really to appreciate it! Lots of little things tend to slip by me, and It'd be nice to have those resolved eventually <3)
> 
> One more chapter :)


	10. The Hero of the Wilds

Wild was silent, folding into himself more than Time thought possible. His face was hidden behind his knees, pulled tight against his chest as a shield against the stranger next to him. Every few moments, Time would catch Wild peeking out from behind his barrier, before quickly hiding his face once again. 

His legs did very little to hide his scars, however. They ripped across his face like a forest fire, digging deep into his features and twisting them forevermore. The pale scars stuck out against the tanned skin around them. They enclosed the bridge of Wild’s nose, engulfing the majority of the left side of his face, save for his forehead and chin. The scars ate away at his left ear, leaving small chunks out of the very tip. They wrapped around his neck like a noose, before continuing to spread under the collar of his shirt. 

Time had a very good idea as to where he got those scars, and it made him want to throw up. 

With a sigh, Time leaned back against the cool walls of the shrine. It provided no resistance to Time, nearly sending him slipping to the floor in embarrassment when he first lowered himself down next to Wild. That had been thirty minutes ago, and neither of them had made any move to talk during that time. 

He ran his hand along the blue glow on the floor next to him, feeling it throb and pulse beneath his finger tips. It was a dying heartbeat, the cold light sucking the warmth from Time in a desperate attempt to stay beating.

He pulled his hand away. 

Rain pelted down on the smooth terminal outside, raindrops glowed blue as they rolled across the illuminated sheikah eye, hitting the shrine’s entrance without a hint of light reflected in their surface. Dark and angry cloud thrashed around in the sky, blotting out each and every beam of light from hitting the gloomy land below. 

Until the light burst from the clouds, slamming against the ground with the wrath to rival that of a goddess’s. 

Three days in Wild Hyrule and it rained two of them, Time wasn’t exactly a fan. 

A sharp crack of lighting struck the ground outside Hateno, the roar of thunder jerking Wild back. He hit the shrine wall with a hollow thunk, his hands clawing at his ears in an attempt to block out the sounds. 

Wild was never this jumpy before; the state of his Hyrule certainly was a contributing factor to his newfound skittishness. 

Time couldn’t do more than watch as Wild crumbled into himself more, pressed against the wall of the shrine in an attempt to put as much distance between himself and Time. Despite offering to sit outside, Wild refused to let Time. He had scooted over to give him a spot to sit under the protection of the shrine, yet Time could tell he was uncomfortable. 

A soft tap on Time’s arm jerked him out of his thoughts. He turned his head from the bellowing storm outside, looking down at the scared teenager that had inched towards him. 

Wild fidgeted, hands shaking as he refused to make eye contact with Time.  _ “Sorry,”  _ he quickly spelled out with his left hand, the right one gripping at the fabric above his chest. 

Time frowned, a million pains running through his heart at the state of Wild before him. He stifled them by clearing his throat, forcing a weak smile onto his face. 

“For what?” 

Wild inhaled deeply, hands shaking even more than before. Time fought the urge to grab them, to keep them still until Wild could calm down.  _ “Forgot you.” _

Time felt his heart crack, but he wouldn’t let Wild see that. He huffed, turning his body to fully face Wild, who had relaxed ever-so-slightly. “I take it that Zelda told you?” 

A nod. 

“Kid, you had no control over that, it’s okay. You have no reason at all to be sorry.” 

Wild shook his head, glancing up to Time with the same vibrant blue eyes that he remembered.  _ “Feel bad.”  _

Time scooted closer, deciding to push his luck just a hair. Wild didn’t move, still staring at Time with a deep fear and sadness in his eyes. “It’s okay. No one is holding this against you, we understand.” 

_ “Sor—” _

Time wasn’t going to let Wild finish the sign, grabbing onto both of Wild’s hands and squeezing them gently. “I’m not going to let you keep apologizing for something you couldn’t help.” 

Wild pulled his hands out of Time’s with a huff, but made no move to continue signing. He instead wrapped his arms around his legs again, turning away from Time to watch the rain drum against the shrine. His chin rested on his knees, hair splayed out across his back. 

His hair, that had only gone to just above his shoulders when he traveled with the other Links, and had reached just below his shoulders in the picture hanging in his house, now hung halfway down his back. It was unkempt, tangled and knotted from lack of care. Dirt and blood clumped the dirty hair together, the tie holding it into a ponytail beginning to fray. 

The more Time looked at Wild, the more he wanted to pull him into a tight embrace and never let go. This was his kid for goddess’s sake, he had let Wild go once and that had brought nothing but pain. 

This was the kid that had spent an entire day cooking with Malon when Time was sick, who took care of his chores like it was second nature. This was the kid who built sandcastles with Wind when the youngest hero was homesick, who became Wind’s older brother despite their rather small age gap. This was the kid who nearly got himself and Warriors lost in a cave looking for a cat. 

This was Wild, part of Time’s family. 

And whether or not he remembered any of that changed nothing in Time’s heart. 

“The first time I ever met you, you nearly chopped my head off.” 

Wild frowned, tilting his head to the side. Time took that as an invite to continue, so he gladly did. He rarely got to tell this story, but it was one of his favorites. 

“You and Four were the very first of the other heroes that I ever met, and you certainly made an interesting first impression.” Time chuckled softly, remembering back to their meeting. “The two of you had been in my Hyrule for about a week before you found me, or rather, I found you. 

“It was the middle of the night, and I had just finished dropping off an order of eggs to the Castle Town bakery. I hadn’t even gotten halfway across the town center when I saw the two of you, wandering around the place like two lost kids.” 

That’s what Time had thought they were, two brothers who had gotten separated from their parents. “Before I could approach either of you, you had ducked away into an alley. Of course, I followed you, which in hindsight seemed much more sinister than my intentions.” The narrow walls of the alley had hugged against Time’s sides as he tried to catch up to the two lost children. 

He hadn’t realized they were armed until a sword was pressed against his neck. “You nearly decapitated me once I was able to catch up to you,” Time chuckled. “You’d been more than apologetic after you realized I wasn’t going to attack you, but Malon certainly will never let me live it down. She brings it up the fact that her husband, the Hero of Time, had been utterly defenseless against two swordsmen who barely came to his chest.”

Wild shook with silent laughter, a smile pulling against his scars in a way that seemed almost unnatural. It was the first time that Time had seen Wild smile in nearly half a year, his heart swelled at the thought. 

When Wild’s laughter faded away, he turned to Time, a gentle frown pulling against the last remnants of a smile.  _ “Don’t remember.”  _

“I don’t expect you to.” 

“I want to,” Wild’s voice was a whisper, nearly drowned out by the boom of thunder above. He winced, curling into himself momentarily before loosening up, looking to Time. 

Despite the shocking differences in Wild, Time couldn’t help but see the subtle similarities hidden underneath. His eyes were the most noticeable similarity between the Wild that Time had known and the Wild now. They were the same bright shock of blue as before, piercing and strong. Yet the wild and carefree emotions that Time used to see struggling under the surface of Wild’s eyes took the forefront, driving back the stoic and strong knight. A new fear and sorrow had settled itself into Wild’s soul, much stronger than it had been in the past. 

Wild held the look of a frightened child with nowhere to go. 

“Well, how much do you remember from before?” 

Wild faltered, his face scrunching in thought. Time gave him a moment to think, watching the gears turn in Wild’s head in amusement. Wild finally shook his head in defeat. “Nothing about you.” 

Time huffed, “I didn’t ask if you remembered me.” 

“I—” Wild frowned. “Not much.” 

Time nodded, running a hand through his slightly damp hair. It was as Twilight said, Wild had nearly nothing of the past to his name. 

“What about new memories?” 

“. . . What do you mean?” 

Time hummed stretching his legs out before folding them underneath him once again. “Well, what kinds of memories have you made since waking up? I’d like to get to know you better.” 

Wild didn’t answer, turning to face the storm once more. A bolt of lightning illuminated the front of his face, the bags under his eyes dragging his features down. His face twisted into a wince, drawing back at the loud crackling of the sky above. 

He finally sighed, “Will you go somewhere with me?” 

Time stopped before he could answer, staring at the confused form of Wild beside him. The kid was making an effort to avoid Time’s eyes, staring at the storm with a gaze filled with a million thoughts. 

He wasn’t sure where Wild was going with this, but Time trusted him. “Sure.” 

Wild let out a breath of relief, pushing himself upright to stand. Time followed, confused as Wild unclipped the slate from his belt. 

“Where exactly are we going to go?” 

Wild didn’t answer, tapping and sliding his finger across the screen of the slate. His hand paused mid tap, and he looked up to Time. Without a word, he held out his free hand towards Time, staring at the older hero intently. 

Confused, Time grabbed onto his hand, watching Wild nod and continue tapping his slate with a bemused expression. Just what was he trying to—

Oh sweet golden goddesses above. 

Time watched in horror as Wild’s form started to dissipate much like his spoon had. It started with the hand holding his slate, unweaving itself from his form before gently drifting off into the air. The blue strands spiraled their way up his arm, fully encasing his shoulders and neck before spreading to the arm holding onto Time. 

Before he could blink, Time felt lightheaded. The light pulled his very being apart numbly, leaving him feeling cold more than anything. He could barely begin a single thought before he felt his very core begin to unravel, and everything went dark. 

* * *

Time’s consciousness snapped to him with a jolt and he stumbled to find his balance. He felt his hand being pulled, steadying his weight as he blinked the white fuzz from his vision. His head spun, silent thoughts spiraling around wildly before slowly coming back into focus. 

He opened his eyes, and had no idea where he was. 

Wild stood next to him, both hands gripping Time’s arm as he helped steady the older hero. The heartbeat of the shrine throbbed against Time’s feet, a glowing circle marking the spot the two heroes stood. 

There was no rain, replaced by a gentle breeze through a clear sky. The wind whistled through the rocks surrounding them, not a tree in sight. There seemed to be a path leading away from the shrine to their left, but it was blocked by a large stone wall. 

“Kid, where are we?”

Wild ignored him, letting go of Time’s arm when he was sure that he wouldn’t topple over without the support. He stepped off the shrine entrance, glancing at their surroundings. He peered his head around the shrine before gesturing for Time to follow him. 

With a huff, Time followed, not really having a choice in the matter. Wild led him around the back of the shrine to a rocky incline. As they neared the top of the slope, a tattered flag came into Time’s view. It flapped weakly in the wind, sitting on top of a tower of sorts. 

The tower was connected to a stone wall, moss and ivy climbing up the cracked surface while trees slowly grew on either side, overtaking the structure. The tall, imposing silhouette of a castle stood off in the distance, enclosed by strange pillars, poised to attack the structure. 

Wild stepped onto the crumbling wall without hesitation, leaving Time no choice but to follow. The stone bricks crumbled under their feet, caking their boots with a layer of dust. The two of them descended down a small staircase into the tower, staring straight at a large drop in front of them. 

“Do you still want me?” 

Time looked to Wild quizzically, watching as the younger hero began to descend the ladder before them. “I’m not sure what you mean.” 

Wild's feet hit the ground below, and Time lowered himself down onto the ladder. His steps were slow, not quite trusting the damp and old wood to hold. 

Time glanced down, and Wild was standing near the exit, watching Time climb down the ladder with a hand on his hip. “You asked me earlier if I would accompany you on your quest. Does that offer still apply, knowing what you know now?” 

As his feet touched stable ground Time left out a huff, turning towards the exit. “Of course, why wouldn’t it?” 

Wild hummed, turning away from Time to lead the way once more. The grass beneath his feet was lush and vibrant, hidden under the military gaze of the tower’s shadow. Old and worn trees lined the vague remains of a path, the ground swallowing the old bricks whole to hide the remains of civilization. 

Time felt his heart catch in his throat as they continued down the trail, ruins scattered before them. A small fountain stood in the center of what used to be a road, surrounded by the rotting and burnt remains of buildings. 

Something within Time urged him to approach one of the house ruins. Wild didn’t say a word, patiently waiting beside the scum covered fountain as Time rested his hand against a wooden beam. 

He slowly stepped inside the ruins, only one chunk of an outside wall remaining. He stepped over the rubble, staring at the remains burnt beyond recognition. Who lived here, what was their story? Did they escape in time, or were they destroyed alongside their home? 

A plank of wood caught his eye, something peeking out from beneath it. He lifted it with ease, stomach dropping like the wood to the floor. He bent down, gently letting his fingers brush against the tattered doll’s form. It’s arm was missing, singe marks lining where it once was. Two button eyes hung limply off the soot covered face, the thread holding them on fraying and breaking. A small dress decorated her body, a yellow flower hand embroidered into the front. 

It was small in Time’s cupped hands, far too small for him. It was the perfect size for a child, for them to hold it by its arm and drag it alongside them wherever they went. 

He hadn’t noticed Wild come up beside him until his hand bumped against Time’s. Carefully, the doll was lifted from Time’s grasp, overtaken by the wisps of light before plunging into the slate alongside the rest of Wild’s things. 

They stood in silence, Time staring at his soot covered palms and Wild at the ruins around them. The kid finally sighed, running a hand through his knotted hair, stopping as his fingers caught on a tangle. “Let’s keep going.” 

Time nodded, and he was once again led through the wasteland surrounding the crumbling castle. Where there had been life near the walls surrounding the destruction, all that stood in the ruins was death. The burnt corpses of trees hung over the cracked roads, a reminder of what once was. 

A huge gouge was taken out of the road, claw marks and cuts digging into the remaining stone and the dirt beneath. The two cautiously stepped around it, plunging deeper into the desolate heart of the ruins. 

Two metal poles marked a decline in the road, the golden sheen rusted and the metal bent completely out of shape. Tattered remains of flags clung desperately to the poles, their original color long since gone. 

Time could recognize the type of road they were on, one typically used in larger towns. A smooth ramp sat in the road’s center, sandwiched on either side by a small set of stairs. They were used so that carts and horses could easily traverse the streets, while the civilians could avoid being trampled on the stairs beside them. 

“Where are we?” 

Wild sighed, glancing around at the cluster of destruction around them. “Castle Town, or what’s left of it.” 

The dead air around them felt denser, the ruins feeling that much tighter. Time could imagine the countless families filling the streets, children dashing between street vendors and evading their parents. Wild often talked about how packed his Castle Town was, more so than even Twilight’s on occasion. His land was full of people, packed full of more towns than any of them ever came close to matching. 

Now it was empty, a hollow shell speaking of the greatness that once was. 

Wild deviated from the road, weaving between a cluster of ruined houses. The wooden staircase of one of the houses creaked and cracked as Wild slowly made his way up it. He plopped down onto the remains of the porch with a sigh, and Time followed suit. 

Time stared off at the ruins for what seemed like hours, not letting his mind wander too much. He wouldn’t let himself think about the countless lives lost where he now sat, wouldn’t think about how Wild’s father had once opened an inn in this very town after Wild had drawn the sword. 

It was all in the past, there was nothing he could do to change any of that now. 

“I’ve failed.” Wild spoke as the sun dipped behind them, casting long, twisted shadows across the empty corpse of Castle Town. “I failed the very people who believed in me, who put their faith in me.” 

“They put their faith onto a child.” 

“They put their faith into a  _ hero  _ ,” Wild spat out the last word, his hands clenched tightly in the fabric of his pant leg. “A hero who was supposed to save them, like all the heroes before him had. Like you had.” 

The pit that had been festering inside Time’s gut since seeing the picture dropped even deeper, pulling his heart down with it. He couldn’t find the right words to say, his brain scrambling to find something, _ anything  _ , but to no avail. 

Wild sighed, resting his elbows on his knees, hands relaxed between his legs. He turned to Time, a sad smile on his face. “Do you want to travel with a failure?” 

“This isn’t your fault,” Time frowned as Wild exhaled softly, a gentle snort of sorts. 

“Look around you,” he gestured weakly at the ruins surrounding them. “The heart of a kingdom, dead because of me.”

“Kid listen, I—” 

“Do you hate me?” 

Time froze, taken aback by Wild’s sudden question. The kid bit his lip, bowing his head down to stare at his feet, kicking in the air. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry,” Time reached out to put a hand on Wild’s shoulder, but faltered. He let his hand drop into his lap with a sigh, running his other hand through his hair. “Why in the goddesses’ names would you think I would hate you?” 

Wild didn’t answer, rubbing the back of his hand with his thumb. The shadows cast from the ruins grew longer and longer, until they ate up all the light. Soon, Time could see the gentle dots of stars in the sky, visible as the last remaining clouds slowly faded away. 

“You knew me from before, and you expected me to be a hero, just like you,” Wild finally sighed, leaning back to stare at the sky. “I didn’t meet your expectations, I’m sorry.” 

Time’s heart shattered, and he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing onto Wild’s shoulder. The kid’s head snapped to him, eyes wide and shoulders tense. Time felt all his earlier emotions all crash into him at once, fueled by the sudden guilt settling into his chest. 

Without thinking, he wrapped both of his arms around Wild’s shoulders, pulling him against his chest. “I’m the one who failed you.” 

To Time's surprise, Wild relaxed in his hold, not tense like before. His head rested against Time’s breastplate, face twisted to avoid suffocating in the simple undershirt Time wore. Time and Wild sat there silently, neither daring nor wanting to move. 

“You were alone, I— We all should’ve been there for you.” 

Wild hummed, drawing his hands up to wrap them around Time’s back, returning the hug. “I had Twi.” 

Time hated to think what would’ve happened if Twilight hadn’t been there for Wild. Would the kid still be alive, sitting here with Time? Or would he be buried in the dust, his kingdom failing him for the second time? 

“. . . Do you miss him, the person I used to be?” 

“Everyday.” 

Wild pulled away from Time to look at him, and Time nearly broke seeing his eyes. Fragile, fearful, like he was scared of what Time would say. Scared of what it would mean for him. “I want to help protect this world. The people who helped a scared kid with no home to speak of. The wilds that embraced the lost and forgotten with open arms. The family that I’ve made. Most of all, I want to remember you. Or at the very least, get to know you.

“I’d like to come with you.”

Time smiled, letting go of Wild to ruffle his unruly hair. “We’d be proud to have you on board.” 

Wild bit his lip, letting go of Time to draw his hands together, clenching them. “What about the others?” 

Time frowned, the pain on the other’s faces fresh in his mind. The pure heartbreak sweeping through the room, choking the words from many of their throats. He shook his head with a sigh. “They’ll be okay, they just need time.” 

A hand rested on Time’s arm, and he looked quizzically at Wild. “What about you?”

Time chuckled, patting Wild’s head. “I’ll be okay too, don’t worry.” 

Wild smiled, pushing himself off the ruins to stand, wincing slightly. Time mentally cursed, nearly jumping up to join Wild. How had he forgotten that Wild had been unable to even stand just a few hours ago? 

Wild seemed to notice Time’s fumbling, holding back a laugh as Time realized he didn’t have his bag on him, cursing under his breath. “I’m okay, Zelda gave me a potion earlier.” 

“You winced,” Time stated bluntly, staring at the slate on Wild’s hip. “You got anymore in that thing?” 

Wild shook his head. “I don’t need them, I’m fine, just sore.” 

Time stared at Wild, who grew squeamish under his gaze. He seemed to be fine, the bloodstains on his shirt near completely washed away by the earlier rain. The stealth armor seemed to have vanished, pale scars peeking out from the various tears in Wild’s tunic. Time finally sighed, shaking his head. 

“If you say so.” 

Wild grinned, stepping off of the rotting staircase and into the dirt below. A small cloud of dust puffed up from beneath his boots, sticking to the already dirtied leather. Stars covered the once lit sky, the moon peeking over the horizon. It’s pale light glistened across the ruins, painting the disturbing site into something more ethereal. 

The others would be wondering where they went by now. Time didn’t want this outing to end, he wanted to talk to Wild about everything. All of his struggles, all of his exciting stories, all of his blackmail material on Twilight. But he sighed, those conversations would have to wait for a later date. 

“We should be heading back.” 

Wild nodded, grabbing onto Time’s arm. Without another word, the slate was tapped, and two figures disappeared into the night sky in ribbons of light. 

* * *

Time’s eye flew open, staring widely at the stars above. Flashes from his nightmare danced across his vision, before he groaned and slapped a hand over his eyes, a feeble attempt to make it stop. 

His vision was stained with yellow, two eyes piercing his heart and twisting his very form. 

Time groaned, pushing himself upright. Dwelling on it would do nothing, it was a nightmare of things he could no longer change, there was no use fighting against that. 

His bedroll shifted with his weight, digging deeper into the sand and momentarily throwing him off-balance. Time hated deserts, with one key contributor to that hatred being the very sand itself. He liked beaches, digging his toes into the sand and relishing in the texture. 

Deserts were different, especially when Time had to trudge through them for days on end. Sand got everywhere, in boots and pants, in hair and eyes. It sucked the moisture from the air and the people, adding onto the dehydration from the heat. 

It was also a pain to sleep on, which the heroes had been experiencing for the past three nights now. 

They weren’t exactly sure which Hyrule they were in, but the sheer vastness of it pointed towards Wild’s. It had been a while since they’d first been in Wild’s Hyrule, just over a month at that point. But to many of the heroes, they could go the rest of their lives without returning to Wild’s Hyrule. 

They told Wild that it was too big, that they didn’t want to spend weeks walking before seeing even a hint of civilization. 

Wild knew they were lying, they all knew that they were lying. The Links hated how empty Wild’s Hyrule was. How it served as a constant reminder of what was lost. A reminder of how they had failed one of their own, and a glimpse into the hardships he had to face. 

Things were still tense between them all. Despite many of their best efforts, the heroes were having a hard time interacting with Wild. There were too many slip-ups, too many references to things in the past that Wild no longer recalled. 

Surprisingly, Legend was the most involved with integrating Wild back into the group. He hung back with the kid when they traveled, making meaningless small talk to fill the silence and shutting the others up when they accidentally overstepped a boundary. Time wasn’t sure what had prompted Legend to get so close to him, perhaps a way of making up for the fact that he wasn’t as close to Wild in the past as he would’ve liked? 

Time glanced at the sleeping forms surrounding him, thankful that everyone was still accounted for. There were many times where one of their own would wander off in the dead of night, and not bother to tell anyone, especially Wild. 

At the far side of camp sat Wild, the back of his head visible over the small pile of rubble he was leaned against. He was tasked with the first watch of the night, yet if the position of the moon was anything to go by, Four should’ve been awake long ago to take up the third shift. 

Time sighed, pushing himself up to stand. He wrapped his blanket around his shoulders, suppressing a shiver at the freezing air nipping against his exposed skin. He crept around the others, careful not to kick sand, lest he wake them. 

Wild acknowledged his presence with a short nod, scooching over to give Time room to sit. Time obliged, leaning his back against the smooth surface of the ruins. The constant sandstorms in the area had effectively sanded down nearly everything, leaving the ruins of old civilizations smooth to the touch. 

“You should be asleep, kid.” 

Wild hummed, staring up at the sky. “I know.” 

It was even harder to get a read on Wild’s emotions now than ever before, to Time’s surprise. The kid used to be a brick wall, never outwardly showing his emotions unless on purpose. Now, he displayed many of his emotions, but it was subtle, almost too subtle for Time to pick up. And when they got to the point of noticing, it usually meant Wild had been bottling it up for a while, unable to hold it in any longer. 

He normally shut down soon after, and the cycle would repeat once more. 

“What’s on your mind?” Time draped part of his blanket across Wild’s shoulders, who made no move to shake it off. 

“This is hard.” 

“You’re going to have to be a bit more specific,” Time chuckled. 

Wild nodding his head towards the sleeping heroes behind them. “Being with you guys. It’s hard for all of us.”

It was true, the past month had been hard on the heroes. Wild couldn’t find a way to fit in, sticking close to Twilight a majority of the time. The other heroes were trapped in their own heads, not sure what to say to Wild so they didn’t say anything at all. 

“. . . Yeah, it is hard.” 

Wild sighed, leaning his head back to rest on the rubble. “I’m trying to remember, I really am. I just . . .” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I just can’t.” 

Time took a deep breath, slowly running the words through his head. He didn’t want to mess this up, he couldn’t afford to mess this up. 

“Maybe that’s a good thing.” Wild’s eyes widened, staring at Time before the elder hero continued. “The Wild I used to know was so sad, he was distant and cold and didn’t feel like he had anyone to turn to.” 

He turned to Wild with a smile, watching a confusion on the younger’s face. “But you, you’re happy. You have something personal to fight for, you fight for yourself and not for your duty. In all my time knowing him, the Wild of old never had even an ounce of freedom that you do.” 

“I was a knight,” Wild huffed, staring off into the distance. “I had a duty.” 

“But you’re not a knight now. You don’t remember your duty, and you’re happier for it.” Time fully pulled the blanket off himself, wrapping it fully around Wild. “If you’re happier without the memories of your past, without your memories of us, then I think I can accept that.” 

Wild sighed, running a hand through his still matted hair. No matter how many times Warriors insisted he brush it, Wild’s hair always ended up looking like a bird’s nest by the end of the day. 

“. . .This feels oddly familiar.” 

Time chuckled, tilting his head to the sky. “Oh? What do you mean by that?” 

“Like . . . the two of us talking together with everyone else sleeping.” He looked to Time, visibly confused. “Have— Have we done something like this in the past?” 

“Well, I suppose. Just before you left to go back to your Hyrule we sat up in a tree while the others slept soundly below.” Time tilted his head to the side, looking at Wild out of the corner of his eye. “It was your final goodbye to me, in a sense.” 

Wild cupped his head in his hands, humming a single note to himself. “I— That sounds so familiar and yet I can’t . . .” The hummed note changed, going from an ‘F’ to an ‘A’ with some difficulty. He couldn’t seem to get the notes right, repeating them in an alternating manner. “I can’t recall anything.” 

“And that’s okay.” Time rested a hand on Wild’s shoulder, jerking the kid out of his thoughts. He was visibly upset, scouring through his fractured memories in a feeble attempt to find something, anything that would remind him of that past. “You can’t force yourself to remember. If you ever do, it’ll have to happen naturally.” 

Wild relaxed, slumping back against the ruins. “I was so close to remembering, it’s right,” Wild held out his hand, grabbing at the air for emphasis, “there. I know it is.” 

He turned to Time, desperation in his eyes. “Can you sit with me tonight? Maybe that’ll help . . .” 

Time sighed, wrapping an arm around Wild’s shoulders and pulling him against his side. “Of course.” 

Wild gave him a shaky smile, before staring out into the endless ocean of sand around them. “Thanks.” 

The two of them sat there for much longer than they should’ve, watching as the moon made its slow descent across the star freckled sky. Wild had thrown the blanket back over Time’s shoulders once the elder hero could no longer hide the goosebumps on his arms. 

The moon dipped below the flat horizon, the faintest hint of the rising sun rising to their backs. It would be time to wake the others soon, to give them time to eat, pack up, and begin their long and arduous journey through the sands once more. 

Time glanced over to Wild, who was flicking through the old recipe cards he had left the heroes. Many of the recipes had been long since forgotten, ones that Wild had never even heard of until seeing the recipes. He had made it his mission to perfect all of his old meals once again, hoping it would jog his memory in the slightest. 

As if noticing Time’s eyes on him, Wild turned to him. He smiled, turning one of the cards towards Time’s face. 

‘Wildberry Pancakes,’ a simple recipe that Wild had made for them many times in the past. It was often a food they would associate with comfort, being a food only made when they were no longer on the road. It was too hard to cook on the go, not very practical either. 

“Yeah, that one’s good,” Time said, not quite sure what kind of response Wild was looking for by showing it to him. Wild’s smile broadened, and he put it near the top of the card pile, melting the cards back into his slate. 

The others began to stir behind them, stifled yawns and groans putting an end to their late night watch. As if on cue, Wild stood, letting the blanket fall onto Time as he stretched. He stepped around the ruins, and towards the half awake camp behind Time. 

“You were supposed to switch out shifts five hours ago, Cub.” 

“Couldn’t sleep.” 

“You’re not too tired to cook right?” 

“Legend, we just woke up. He doesn’t have to cook right—” 

“Oh, don’t pretend like you’re not hungry too, bird boy.” 

Time chuckled, picking himself off the ground and dusting the layer of sand off his clothes. Sky and Legend were bickering over breakfast, with Twilight fretting over Wild off near the edge of camp. Wind and Warriors made quick work of packing up all the bedrolls while Hyrule and Four re-kindled the small fire they had made in the early night. 

Wild hadn’t remembered anything through the night, no matter how hard he racked his brain. He couldn’t remember crying into Time’s arms, relaying his fear of death to the older hero. He couldn’t remember the family he offhandedly mentioned, and he couldn’t remember Time promising that everything would be okay. 

Time took a deep breath, it was okay. It didn’t work out the way that anyone had imagined, but everything was okay now. Wild was alive, his Hyrule was saved, and Time’s family was whole again. 

He smiled, watching Warriors nearly smack Wild in the face with a brush, yelling at him to comb the rat’s nest that was his hair. The other heroes were relaxed, looking at Wild not as a reminder of a loss, but as a new friend to gain. 

With a light laugh, Time rejoined the freshly awakened heroes, settling in next to Wild as he began to pull food from his slate. Warriors had been handed some mushrooms and a knife, his punishment for ‘berating the chef’ as Wild put it. 

Deep down, Time had known so much had changed. None of them were the same people that they had once been. But at the same time, looking around at the heroes gathered around a fire, joking and telling stories, Time saw his family. A family that, no matter how much changed, stuck together. 

They were going to be okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, wow. I actually never believed I was going to see this thing through to the end. I surprised myself in late August of last year when I actually sat down and fully outlined this story, a feat that I’ve rarely had the motivation nor attention span to do. And then again, in September when I fully drafted nine of the ten chapters throughout the month. Imagine my surprise when again, in October, I actually began to edit them, something I rarely did on old fics I wrote in my younger years. 
> 
> I… I honestly wasn’t expecting the response I got on this fic. I was writing it for pure fun, a test to see if I could handle a multi-chapter fic and see it through to the end. I was so ecstatic when I saw the view count start to go up, floored when I got a hundred views in the first day posting it. The very first comments I got had me speechless, I was so happy that people were enjoying something I was doing for fun. 
> 
> And then it blew up, and looking at the view count on this fic sends my stomach into a roller coaster. It’s a response I never expected in a million years, and everyone is so positive too. I swear, anytime I have a down day I always go back to re-read the comments left on the chapters. Something as simple as knowing people gained some sense of joy from something I made gave me happiness in times where I needed it the most. 
> 
> The entire Linked Universe fandom, but you all reading this most of all, have helped me through some really rocky months of my life. I love everyone more than you could possibly know, and I hope you enjoyed seeing Forgotten Promises through to the very end with me! 
> 
> It’s the first multi-chaptered fic I’ve ever finished, and it’s sure a surreal feeling. Of course, I’m not done with it. As I notice small errors I’ll go through and edit them. But, once again, thank you for sticking around to the end with me. It has been a pleasure. I truly cannot find a way to express my gratitude and love towards you all. There are no words I could use, so in lieu of this, I will simply say that I love you all, and each and every one of you is precious. 
> 
> ...But, stay tuned for more in this AU of sorts. I just so happen to have a full doc of things outlined, that I now get a chance to start. Promises and Companion aren’t the only fics in the Forgotten series :) 

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions for me, my tumblr is Tally-ace, come pay me a visit! Or if you just want to chat, I'm open to that as well <3


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